Dimapur, August 19 (MExN): Even as workers of Nagaland Pulp & Paper Mill in Tuli are demanding their salaries for the past 3 months, six officials of the Nagaland Pulp & Paper Mill in Tuli are said to have been suspended in July this year. There are “feelings” that the events are somehow not too ‘encouraging.’ A rehabilitation package from the government amounting to Rs. 552.44 crore was sanctioned for the mill’s workers, but it has yet to even commence, reports say.
Sources from the mill informed tonight of this developments. The sources were, however, unsure if the suspension of the six officials had any connection with ‘finance.’ But considering that the mill’s workers haven’t been paid for the past 3 months now, there are “feelings” that not all is well, a mill worker said tonight.
According to a Tuli mill worker, the suspended officials include a Chairman-cum-Managing Director while the rest are ‘all’ Directors (of Finance). The officials were suspended in July, a round the 18th, 2010, the worker said. It was informed that an amount of Rs. 54.60 crore was released in September 2007 as the ‘first phase’ of the rehabilitation package. The amount was released on September 17, 2007, the source said. However, the source lamented that while funds are being sanctioned, the mill’s workers haven’t been paid for three months now. The “rehabilitation has not even started,” the worker lamented.
It was informed that the mill has about 300 workers and they haven’t been paid for the past three months and they are “dying of hunger.” Workers’ Union of NPP Company Limited said representations have been made on several occasions to both the Central and Nagaland government but there are yet to be any response so far. Neither the Parliamentary Secretary of Industries & Commerce nor the departmental chiefs of the department overseeing the mill’s affairs could be reached for comment at the time of filing this news report. A separate letter of appeal to the media was received here from the workers today appealing that their plight be highlighted.
The workers said workers and employees are “dying of hunger” due to their salaries not being paid to them for the past three months. The NPPCL is a joint venture of the Government of Nagaland and the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Government of India enterprise. The HPCL is the holding company of the NPPCL.
“We request you to kindly publish our suffering in your daily esteemed news continuously so that the concerned authority would wake up from deep sleeping and the starved workers/ employees will get alive again…” the workers’ union appealed to the media.
In July, Parliamentary Secretary in-charge of Industries & Commerce, Dr. K.C Nihoshe while replying to a starred question during the 7th session of 11th Assembly, had admitted that workers of Tuli Paper Mill were not paid their salaries for the months of May and June. He reportedly assured that the salaries would be ‘cleared soon.’
