Questions the sincerity of HPC Ltd and State Government
The Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) is very much concerned at the snail-paced revival works of the Nagaland Pulp & Paper Mill (NPPC) Tuli which is being sanctioned by the Government of India and undertaken by the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPC) and Government of Nagaland.
The CNSA had on two occasions sought information from the NPPC Ltd and also the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Government of Nagaland in 2016.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India had sanctioned Rs 100 Crores as first installment in the year 2013. The NPPCL, replied to the CNSA RTI application, that only “INR 34 crores (Approx)” have been utilized thus far “towards various project activities”.
To this, the CNSA strongly questions the HPC Ltd as to why only Rs 34 crores can be utilized out of Rs.100 crores in three years time, that is from 2013-2016.
It must be pointed out that even the Nagaland Chief Minister, T.R Zeliang, as per news reports on May 31, 2016 (Nagaland Post) has stated that “out of Rs 100 crores released by the Ministry of Heavy Industries in 2013, Rs 60 crores was diverted by HPC Ltd”. The CNSA takes this diversion of the Rs 60 crores by the HPC Ltd very seriously and demands the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd to declare where the Rs 60 crores have been utilized. The CNSA cautions that if the diverted Rs 60 crores by HPC Ltd has not been utilized for the revival of the NPPCL, Tuli; then the CNSA will initiate its own course of action, even to the extent of approaching the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.
Besides, the CNSA is not satisfied with the reply by the NPPCL to RTI application wherein asked for the names of the ‘companies contracted for the revival of the NPPC-Tuli’. The NPPCL in their RTI reply sought ‘exemption under Sec. 8 (1) (d) & (g) of RTI Act 2005.
The exemption under the said Sections of the RTI Act 2005 says “8 (1) d: information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property, the disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party, unless the competent authority is satisfied that larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information”. Section 8 (1) (g) of the RTI Act 2005 states, information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence of law enforcement of security reasons.
The NPPCL is a government project and it is the only heavy industry in Nagaland.
Therefore, if the HPC Ltd thinks that the queries by the CNSA are not in the “larger public interest that warrants the disclosure of such information, then the CNSA strongly feels that the HPC Ltd is not serious about the revival of the NPPCL – Tuli. The CNSA wonders and questions the HPCL whether there is some hidden agenda or dirty politics being played to deliberately stall the much awaited revival of NPPCL – Tuli. Three years have already elapsed since the Government of India declared and sanctioned finances for the revival work, but so far, the works at the ground is negligible and very unsatisfactory.
The CNSA strongly feels that this NPPCL revival work should be done in a very transparent and sincere manner since it involves a lot of stakeholders, the greatest being the Naga people, who are eagerly waiting for its revival. The CNSA also strongly questions the Nagaland State Government over its sincerity towards the revival of the NPPCL. The Department of Industries and Commerce replied to the RTI application that the state government has instructed different departments under to undertake different works like power supply, dam, roads etc. However, the state government could not provide the “hard copy of the project report, the amount sanctioned and the progress report of the projects entrusted to the different departments” for the revival of the NPPCL – Tuli by the Government of Nagaland. The CNSA strongly demands that the state government should make it known to the public about the project reports and progress at the earliest possible time.
The CNSA takes this revival work of the NPPCL – Tuli very seriously and had even visited and interacted with the officials of NPPCL in 2015, where it was declared that the Mill would be functional by 2017. However, the slow-paced work, the alleged diversion of 60 crores and the seeming insincerity of the HPCL clearly indicates that the lofty promises of NPPCL revival is nothing but just a pipe-dream which the CNSA cannot and will not tolerate at any cost. The CNSA asserts that this NPPCL belongs to the whole Naga people and this heavy industry should be revived at the earliest. The CNSA knows the economical benefits and the employment opportunities that this industry will bring to the Naga people, especially the educated unemployed youths. Therefore, the CNSA declares that just because of the lackadaisical attitude of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd, this NPPCL – Tuli and the apparent negligence of the Nagaland State Government, the NPPCL revival works will never be allowed to be stalled or stopped. The CNSA is every ready to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) or approach the Union Ministry, Government of India, unless and until the concerned authorities show sincerity in their works towards the speedy revival of the NPPCL – Tuli.
Charles Lotha President , CNSA Yimlanger Jamir General Secretary , CNSA
