Rehabilitation of closed industries

— Anal Kumar DasAssam has been passing through problems one after another. This is not something unusual, as, a living society is bound to confront problems. Problems have different dimensions - political, economic, educational, cultural, environmental and so on and so forth. It is also a fact that all problems do not come necessarily at a time. With the problems too, there are ebbs and tides. While some are sudden needing urgent effective approach, some linger baffling solution and some are even kept under carpet. The foreigners issue is one such problem-solution of which has remained elusive. Terrorism, flood, erosion, land grabing, deforestation, health, education, social tension for search for new identity through enlistment as scheduled tribes by ethnic communities have claimed pointed attention. However voices raised for these problems, have shadowed vital problem like unemployment with which the young generation and so the future of the State is involved. In matter of creation of job avenues, government option is limited. Some ray of hopes was sparkled in the last seventies setting some industrial activities in motion. In reality substantial jobs in industries related with oil, paper mill, spinning mill,, were createdmore particularly in lower Assam.

Unfortunately the industrial units which once raised so much promises like Ashok Paper Mills at Jogighopa, Spinning Mills at Bijni, Tihu, Boitamari are all closed. At present there is no major initiative in sight for employment generation other than the Gas Cracker Project. The clasure of Ashok Paper Mills and three spinning mills at Manikpur, Tihu, Boitamari and also Match Factory (WIMCO) at Dhubri has thrown out about 5,000 direct employees out of jobs, the indirect employment being many more.

With too much of technology upgradation, competition for marketing, the industrial units may not be prospective for revival although demands are there. It ought to be mentioned that lower Assam, more particularly the undivided district of Goavara passed through phases of agitation in the last sixties. People took to the streets ventilate their grievances which also received political colour. The economic frustration created political emotion taking the shape of demand for autonomous State like Kamatapur Rajya. Nonetheless the demand was region inclusive. Later the demand became ethnicity centric culminating into Bodoland. The demand for Kamatapur Rajya was kept under the carpet, but it did not die. The demand has again resurfaced with a new dimension when the demand has become community centric.

There may be different interpretations of the demands like autonomy, separate State, or even for sovereign country, but none can deny that economic factors like regional backwardness and unemployment have played the dominant role in making the people restive. While efforts must be there to provide gainful employment to the unemployed, the economic slow-down, factors of globalisation, rise of private players will affect the government’s initiative for new industries. It is a harsh reality.

The above reinforces the demand for revival of closed industries. But even then as revival is not in sight and which is a distant possibility, consideration has to be applied to reuse or rehabilitate the resources and capital invested in the closed industries and,to be more specific in Ashok Paper Mills, Spinning Mills at Bijni, Tihu, Jagiroad, Boitamari etc. The case of Ashok Paper Mills is more focused in the sense that the revival of the Mill constituted a part of the historic Assam Accord in 1985. Since 1985 more than 20 years have elapsed and still revival is not in sight and for all practical purposes, the mill is folded up forever. That the government has not taken the revival issue seriously is clear from a statement in the floor of Parliament where the government has stated that a committee has been constituted to assess the technological feasibility of the revival of the mills. If that be the response of the government after 28 years of the Assam Accord, one can easily understand that the revival issue of the mill has taken the backseat in government’s scheme of things.

It was also heard that Ashok Paper Mills was to be taken over oy Hindustan Paper Mills Corporation (HPC). But as it has not materialised till now perhaps it is simply an eye wash. Although it is a certainty that the mill is not going to be revived, people welcome the efforts of revival of Ashok Paper Mill. But considering that materialisation is a distant possibility, it is essential that some consideration is applied to save and reuse the assets of the mill to the best possible extent.

No matter whether the mill is revived or not, all existing employees should be given a golden handshake with cle arance of all dues. It is in order to put an end to their hardship and suffering. As of now there are more than three hunderd employees sitting idle in the mill campus.

In lieu of revival, the alternative will be the rehabilitation or reuse of its assets which stand till today and can be reused or rehabilated through a decision. The rehabilitation of the assets may be possible through schemes of agricultural ventures, rubber plantation, tea garden, horticultural farms and fish farms - which the spacious site of about 2270 bighas of land can ideally offer.

Alternatively, the township with cluster of houses, playground, recreation club, guest house, canteen, market, electricity and water supply and other infrastructural facilities, can be considered for conversion into an educational centre for establishment of Novaday Vidalaya, Engineering College, ITI etc.

There is a proposal of a river port at Jogighopa which will require a residential township. The present mill site can be considered for such a need.

In the light of the above suggestions, some exercise can be underaken for rehabilitation of the assets lying idle in spinning mills at Tihu, Bijni and Boitamari which will at least save some amount of capital, besides creating alternative avenues of jobs. source: assam tribune