A recent order by the liquidator to occupants of all quarters of Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited to vacate by January 31, 2020, has “set the ball rolling” for the company’s liquidation, according to the National Company Law Tribunal order in November.

Workers of the two paper mills (under HPC) in Assam, however, have said they would not comply with the order till their dues are remitted.

The NCLT in November ordered the mills be liquidated and directed the liquidator to carry out necessary proceedings. The liquidator on Monday ordered the occupants of HPC’s quarters, including the housing complex in Salt Lake, Calcutta, to vacate by January 31, 2020. The order copy is available with The Telegraph.

The Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in Hailakandi district and Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon district have been non-functional since October 2015 and March 2017 respectively. The mill workers have not received salaries for 35 and 33 months respectively.

Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions president Manabendra Chakraborty told The Telegraph on Wednesday that the liquidator’s order was the “final nail in the coffin” as far as hope of revival of the mills was concerned. “The mills are going to be sold as scrap now,” he said.

Lashing out at the Narendra Modi-led central government, he said, “First they made us suffer by not paying our salaries and now they are forcing us to leave our houses. They are tormenting us to the worst extent possible and shoving us towards a painful death.”

He, however, maintained that they would continue their crusade for the mills’ revival and payment of salaries of workers. “We are going to fight till our last breath,” Chakraborty said.

A Cachar Paper Mill worker, Najmul Islam, who stays in the quarters at Panchgram, said he would not comply with the order unless all the dues are remitted. “I am not going to vacate the quarter. First, they (government) have to pay all my dues and then I will comply with the order,” he said.

Another worker, Ranjan Bhattacharjee, said they are ready to face any consequence but they will not comply with the order.

Cachar Paper Mill Officers’ and Supervisors’ Association general secretary Dipak Chandra Nath said a meeting was held on the mill premises on Wednesday where the workers decided they would not abide by the liquidator’s order until all their dues are cleared.

They demanded essential services (water and electricity supply and other services) be continued and sought the intervention of the authorities concerned in the matter.

Sources said a large number of the Nagaon mill workers have also refused to abide by the liquidator’s order. One worker said “the authorities will have to walk over his dead body to vacate his quarters”.