Manobendra Chakraborty (centre), Chief Convener of HPC Paper Mills Revival Action Committee addressing the media on Tuesday, calling for a Barak bandh on November 22 this year. Photo: Northeast Now

The massive agitation that resulted in a blockade of National Highway (NH) 6 and 37 on September 26 last, has not yielded positive results for HPC Paper Mills Revival Action Committee. Not to give up hope, this body, consisting of more than 26 associations, has now decided to call for a Barak bandh on November 22.

Disclosing this at a crowded press conference on Tuesday evening in Silchar, Manobendra Chakraborty, Chief Convener of HPC paper mills revival action committee, informed that, “After a threadbare discussion on this matter on October 7 and 20 along with our members, a decision was taken by this committee to go ahead with a Barak bandh and rail roko on November 22 from dawn to dusk.”

Manobendra Chakraborty, further informed, “On 3rd of this month, NEPA Paper Mill situated at Madhya Pradesh has been approved of a revival package of Rs 469 crore,  while the state government of Assam and the government at the centre are not interested in finding a permanent solution to our problems. This discriminatory attitude of Govt of India (GOI) and Govt of Assam (GOA) has forced us to resort to our next level of agitation.”

“We have submitted our notices to the three Deputy Commissioners of Cachar,  Karimganj and Hailakandi districts about our forthcoming programme of Barak bandh,  barring fire brigades, ambulances and army vehicles, that has been kept out of the purview of this agitation,” he added.