Paper mill threatens eco blockade against Mizoram
Paper Mill of Hindustan Paper Corporation in Cachar, Assam
Aizawl, May 23 : Starved by suspension of bamboo export from Mizoram, a paper mill in Cachar (Assam) has threatened economic blockade against the landlocked state unless latter revokes the same.
In a memorandum to Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanwala through Silchar (Assam) Mizoram House liaison officer, workers and employees of Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) yesterday said the suspension of mahaldari system on Mizoram bamboo has badly hit the paper mill resulting in a loss of an average Rs 1.8 crore lakh daily.
In the memorandum, the Cachar Paper Agents Workers Union, Cachar Paper Mills Contractual Labourers Congress, HPC workers and employees union, NSUI, ABSYA, warned that they would stage economic blockade against that state unless the Mizoram government resumes supply or raw materials to the paper mill.
Bamboos in Mizoram were harvested under mahaldari system from the time the state was a district council under Assam (prior to 1972).
Mahaldari system was operated for riverine reserve and inner line reserve forests only, covering 20 to 23 rivers and tributaries.
Most of the bamboo harvested by the mahaldars were supplied to Hindustan Paper Corporation at Panchgram in Assam.
Rivers are preferably used for bamboo transportation to HPC through Barak river.
The Mizoram government has recently suspended the mahaldari on bamboo in order to stop the huge loss and properly tap the resources.
''Our bamboo resources have attracted interest from several countries. Vast amount of bamboo resources have been stolen under the mahaldari system.
Therefore, we have suspended the mahaldari for bamboo and broomsticks for a more sustainable and profitable system of commercialising our forest resources,'' Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had said.
Officials said Mizoram also loses approximately Rs 16 lakh per day due to suspension of bamboo export.
The Mizoram government is planning to set up bamboo chips industries to tap the state’s bamboo resources in a more profitable way.
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