Assam: All Goria-Moriya Parishad along with locals stage protest over selling WIMCO property secretly to builders

The local people of Dhubri along with All Goria-Moriya Parishad on November 15 staged a protest against the alleged conspiracy of selling the property of the Western India Match Company (WIMCO) Ltd secretly to builders. 

''The ITC Company is going to sale/transfer or handover the land of the said Match Factory to builders against the interest of the people of the surrounding area of Dhubri district,'' said one of the representatives of Goria-Moriya Deshi Parishad while speaking to media. 

The people of the surrounding area of Dhubri town have submitted a representation to WIMCO Ltd., ITC, and other concerned authorities on several occasions demanding to resume the Match Factory or any other Industry on the said land for employment generation in the locality of Dhubri.

The locals along with the representatives of Goria-Moriya Deshi Parishad also sought Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's intervention so that the land and property of the Dhubri Match factory cannot be sold to anyone in any way. 

''Re-start the Match Factory or any other Industry on the said land of WIMCO Ltd. (now ITC), Dhubri for employment generation in the greater public interest,'' the representative added.

Notably, the Match Factory was set up in Dhubri in 1925 by a group of Swedish people and it covers land measuring 200 Bigha (approx.)

At the time of the establishment of the said Match Factory, the local people had willingly donated more than 40 Bighas of land without getting any land value for the development of the locality, and the WIMCO Ltd. who had then only purchased 140 Bighas of land on payment of lump sum value to the landholders.

Following the establishment of the said Match Factory, near about 1200 people in the surrounding area got employment in the said Match Factory. However, unfortunately, the said Match Factory was wind up in the year 1997 and as a result, workers become jobless and their family members have to pass their life in hardship.

The Western India Match Company in short WIMCO. Later, Assam India Match Company (AEMCO) bought the ownership rights from the WIMCO. Now, it has come to the fore that WIMCO Ltd. very secretly transferred the said Match Factory with its entire assets including landed property to ITC.