The Save Industry Save Workers Joint Struggle Committee on Monday staged protests across Assam against the Centre’s disinvestment policy and submitted a memorandum to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The committee staged protests at the district headquarters and the Guwahati Club Rotary here and demanded that the Centre revive and modernise the dilapidated industries in the state instead of selling them off to private parties.

In the memorandum, the committee demanded that the Centre and the state government retain BPCL shares instead of selling them off to private giants.

It demanded that the governments revive the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills and clear the dues of the employees at the earliest.

The committee also criticised the state government’s attempt to privatise the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL).

“We demand that the state government strengthen the APDCL rather than engage private outsourcing, provide financial assistance to revive the Assam Co-operative Jute Mills Limited and Assam Polyester Cooperative Society Limited and raise the daily wage of tea estate workers to Rs 350 per day,” committee convener Pankaj Kumar Das said.

Additional deputy commissioner of police, Guwahati central, Gunendra Deka received the memorandum from the committee.

The protest was jointly staged by the Assam State Power Workers’ Union, Nagaon Paper Mill Employee Union, Cachar Paper Project Workers’ Union, All India Trade Union Congress, Assam Sangrami Cha Sramik Sangha, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, All India United Trade Union Centre, Assam Cooperative Jute Mill Employee Parishad, Assam Polyester Shramik Sangstha, Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union, Namrup Fertilizer Workers’ Union, United Workmen Union, Bokajan Cement Factory Labour Union, Assam Carbon Wokers and Employees’ Union and the India Carbon Workers and Employees’ Union.