Why is the JAC protesting and what is their demand?
The Joint Action Committee (Workers Union and Pensioners Union), Nagaland Pulp and Paper Corporation Limited, have on June 10 informed the Chief Minister of Nagaland that they have decided to “protest from August 12, 2022 along NH-2 (formerly NH-61) at Tzudikong, Mokokchung district, till the employees are paid their salaries/wages with effect from the month of August 2017 up to date and till the retired employees and the families of the deceased employees are paid their terminal/pension benefits.
The JAC has also informed the Chief Minister that, during the protest, movement of vehicles along the National Highway at the place of their protest shall be blocked. The JAC also mentioned that it had decided to take this step “in terms of a democratic country to make our grievances heard by the concerned authorities as well as the public.”
What is the JAC?
The existing employees under the umbrella of the Workers Union Nagaland Pulp and Paper Company Limited (WUNPPCL) and the aggrieved superannuated employees of NPPCL under the banner of Pensioners Union NPPCL (PUNPPCL) amalgamated to form the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Workers Union NPPCL and Pensioners Union NPPCL.
Precedent:
The Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) had two solely owned Paper Mills in Assam, namely, the Nagaon Paper Mills at Jagi Road and the Cachar Paper Mills at Panchgram, which had landed under liquidation similar to NPPCL. However, the Government of Assam, even though they had no equity shares on the two mills, under the initiative of the Chief Minister, was benevolent enough that they (Assam government) have taken full responsibilities to rescue the aggrieved employees of these two Paper Mills through a final settlement agreement.
Whereas, the NPPCL was a joint venture of the HPCL and the Government of Nagaland with certain equity shares. Yet, the employees are not getting their legitimate salaries from the month of August 2017 and the superannuated and the widows of the deceased employees are not getting their legitimate benefits from the month of October 2015.
What is the JAC’s demand?
The JAC feel that it is imperative for the Government of Nagaland to arrange resources to redress the legitimate right of their demands and rescue them from the “grievous situations by mobilizing funds for a one time settlement.”
Chronology of Events:
1971: Nagaland Pulp & Paper Company Ltd, a joint venture of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) (A Government of India Enterprise) and the Govt. of Nagaland was the only heavy industry public sector undertaking in Nagaland, which was gifted by the National leaders in 1971 solely for the uplift of socio-economic condition of Nagaland.
1982: The commercial production was started in mid 1982 where NPPCL was producing the best quality paper including the photo copiers (Xerox) with the watermark label ‘Naga Paper’ which became a “national sensation.”
1992: Unfortunately, the production of paper stopped in October 1992 for the reason best known to the management and the Mill was referred to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).
2007: The BIFR after clearing numerous hurdles, approved its revival package on May 29, 2007 vide an order dated 26th June, 2007 for total reconstructing with a cost of Rs. 552.44 crore. The amount was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Govt. of India on June 26, 2007 for revival of NPPCL.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, GoI, released an amount of Rs. 54.60 crore as the first phase of revival.
But according to an RTI report, out of Rs. 54.60 crore, Rs. 36.76 crore was spent by the HPCL/NPPCL during the period 10/7/2007 to 30/4/2009.
2009: Revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the CCEA in March 2009 for an amount of Rs. 679.00 crore which was approved on June 4, 2013.
2013: The Ministry then released Rs. 100.00 crore to the then Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) of HPCL on September 19, 2013.
Out of the above amount of Rs. 100.00 crore, an amount of Rs. 60.00 crore was diverted to other heads for “their vested interest resulting in total stoppage of the rehabilitation of NPPCL.”
2019: The holding company, the HPCL, is under liquidation process as per National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order, 2/5/2019.
Since 2019, the JAC has been addressing the issues with the higher ups.
(Source: JAC Workers Union NPPCL and Pensioners Union NPPCL)