Guwahati: An employee at a defunct paper factory in Assam’s Cachar district, previously owned by Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), died due to various ailments after failing to pay for treatment, his union reported on Wdnesday.
With his death, the total number of workers killed at the paper mill has risen to 106. 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 Gopal Chandra Bhar, a resident of Panchgram in Hailakandi district. He was 57.
Its union, the Joint Action Committee of Recognized Unions (JACRU), said that Gopal was suffering from kidney related disease, Tuberculosis and other serious complications but failed to afford desired treatment due to financial crisis owing to non-payment of salary since last 64 months.
Gopal was found unconscious on Monday morning and was taken to a nearby Hospital but was dead on arrival, JACRU informed.
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.