- NET Web Desk
A 58-yrs-old employee of a defunct paper factory in Assam’s Cachar district, previously owned by Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), died of kidney-related ailments, after failing to pay for his treatment; as informed by its union on Wednesday.
Following the closure of HPC’s two mills in Cachar and Nagaon, the fatality toll of employees reached to 103.
Its worthy to note that the Cachar paper mill became non-operational in October 2015, while the Nagaon mill located near Jagiroad became defunct in March 2017.
The deceased, identified as Rajendra Kumar Daloi – a native of Cuttack in Odisha died on Monday.
According to the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Union (JACRU) of Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, Rajendra couldn’t afford treatment due to a financial difficulty caused by non-payment of his salary.
This is the 18th death since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government took power in May 2021; the union further claimed.
Its worthy to note that the state administration recently announced that it had purchased HPC’s two defunct paper mills for Rs 375 crores.
The union further reiterated that the Assam government has agreed to an assistance package for the employees’ rescue, but funds are yet to be released.