Cachar Paper Mill employee dies due to kidney failure; Union alleges patient could not afford treatment due to nonpayment of salaries

The death toll of the workers of HPC Paper Mills has crossed a new height. With yet another death on April 18, the number of deaths has now escalated to 103. The employees now call the Panchgram Paper Mill, the “Valley of Deaths”. This is the 18th such death that the valley has witnessed after the new government led by Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma came to power.

Rajendra Kumar Daloi was a resident of Cuttak in Odisha and died on April 18, due to kidney-related diseases. Daloi, the employee of Cachar Paper Mill couldn’t afford his treatment owing to the financial crisis being faced by his family. Late Daloi and his colleagues have not received any salary for the past half a decade. Daloi was only 58-year-old at the time of his death. The employees union has blamed the central and the state government for failing this productive industry.

Manabendra Chakraborty, the President of the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Union (JACRU) after the death of Rajendra Daloi said, “Our colleague Rajendra Daloi has passed away on April 18, due to kidney-related diseases. He was just 58-years-old. This is the 103rd such death and those who are alive are waiting for their deaths. Governments after governments have changed, but the paper mill’s status has remained the same. People are dying due to starvation and malnourishment”.

Blaming the central government, Chakraborty said, “The Constitution of India declared the Right to Life as a Fundamental Right, but the employees of Cachar Paper Mill don’t have any such right. The government has failed to answer the reason behind this, time and again”. The President has also requested the State Government to release the relief fund for these employees. He also added, “On September 28, 2021, we have signed a Relief Agreement with the Himanta Biswa Sarma government. I request the government to release funds for the government as soon as possible before we see yet another death”.

It is worth mentioning here that, many of the employees of Cachar Paper have died due to starvation and hunger. For over 63 months, they have not received any salary. There have been talks of liquidation of assets and auction of the assets, but nothing is in action yet. 4 out of the 103 employees have killed themselves and committed suicide.