The Assam Human Rights Commission on Tuesday said it sought the response of the government to a complaint filed by the Save Industry Save Workers Joint Struggle Committee regarding the plight of the defunct mill employees in Assam.

A single bench of N.K. Bora, a member of the Assam Human Rights Commission, has directed to issue a notice to the commissioner and secretary, government of Assam, department of industries and commerce, Dispur, for his response to the issues raised in a complaint petition filed by the organisation.

The commissioner and secretary has been asked to send his response within a month of receipt of the notice.

Cachar and Nagaon paper mills have been non-functional since October 2015 and March 2017 respectively and the workers have not received their salaries for more than two years.

“The production of Jagiroad Paper Mill at Nagaon and Panchgram Paper Mill at Cachar was stopped since March 3, 2017, though both the mills were reportedly functioning and running in profit at the relevant time. The employees of both the mills have been deprived of their salaries and other benefits since March, 2017. As a result, three employees committed suicide and 53 died without proper treatment. The Assam Co-operative Polyester Ltd, Rangiya is also not functioning since December 2016 and the employees have not received their dues and salaries since then. One employee committed suicide and five others died for lack of proper treatment for want of money,” the petition said.

Cachar Paper Mill, the only major industrial undertaking in Barak Valley, is located at Panchgram in Hailakandi district. The Nagaon mill is at Jagiroad in Morigaon district.

The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions, (JACRU) Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, also had said on Monday: “Altogether 60

workers/employees of the mills have died since the mills ceased to function. Three have also committed suicide because of non-payment of salary for 36 months. Chief minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) should release a white paper to disclose the huge funds of Rs 4,141 crore utilised or siphoned off or misused during the period of 2014-15 to 2018.”