December 10, 2019
Dola Sen speaks on non-payment of wages to HPCL employees
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Thank you, Chairman Sir, for allowing me to speak. My subject is non payment of wages towards Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited employees and workers after being given verdict by NCLAT. The employees of Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited, Government of India enterprise that is public enterprise, are in deep distress, Sir.
HPC Limited has its two manufacturing units in Assam, Kachhar Paper Mill and Nagaon Paper Mill, with its headquarters in Kolkata. Production in these two paper mills has been suspended from October, 2015 and March 2017 respectively. Salary was last paid in December, 2016. Corporation Insolvency Resolution Process (CIPR) initiated from 13th June, 2108 and liquidation order released by NCLT, New Delhi in May, 2019.
Upon the appeal of the employees and workers of HPC Limited, NCLAT, the appellate authority of NCLT, has ordered on May 29, 2019 that the employees would get the benefit of going concern and directed the liquidate approach of the Government of India for release of salary and other dues of the workers.
Sir, Rs 90 crore was sanctioned in the central government budget for salary support of employees and workers of HPC Limited in the financial year 2018-19, which has been published in Government India Gazette on August 25, 2018. But unfortunately, the sanctioned amount has not been released till date by the Centre and obviously no benefit has been given to the workmen according to the verdict of NCLAT.
So the fate of the workman is that they are not getting salaries for the last 35 months, which has led to many deaths, all most 100, due to lack of funds for treatment, some suicides all most 10. Moreover, many employees had to withdraw their children from higher studies.
I urge upon the central government and concerned ministry to take up the matter at the appropriate level and do the needful, obeying the NCLAT verdict so that the number of employees and workers of HPC Limited may get their due salaries and other dues at the earliest, according to the law of the land and Constitution.
