Guwahati: An employee at a defunct paper factory in Assam’s Nagaon district, previously owned by Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), died due to illness after failing to pay for treatment, his union reported on Tuesday.
With his death, the total number of workers killed at the paper mill has risen to 105. The Cachar unit ceased operations in October 2015, and the Nagaon mill in Jagiroad ceased operations in March 2017.
The deceased has been identified as Koliman Basaumatary, a resident of Jagiroad in Morigaon district. He reportedly died due to a cardiac arrest on Monday evening. He was 57.
Basumatary had been suffering from major heart illnesses, but was unable to afford treatment due to a financial crisis caused by non-payment of salary, according to its union, the Joint Action Committee of Recognized Unions (JACRU).
Although the Assam government agreed to a relief package worth Rs 375 crore for the employees’ rescue, money have yet to be given, according to JACRU.
It further informed that 20 employees had died since the new government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma was founded, but that nothing had been done to help them.