Curtains down on JCT Mills, Hoshiarpur factory closed

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, September 1

The JCT yarn factory on the Hoshiarpur-Chintpurni road, the last factory of the JCT group at Chauhal, Hoshiarpur, was finally closed today. Despite running into losses for long, it was being run by the mill management. However, the burden of financial losses on the factory had been piling up. According to workers, after October last year, the employees did not get their salaries for almost six months.

The electricity connection of the factory had been snapped for over a month. With the help of the power generated from the steam turbine in the factory, the colony and offices of the factory were getting electricity. According to sources, due to the continuous rise in the losses of the factory, it had become difficult to run it.

The first of the JCT group company was set up in Hoshiarpur in 1975. The workers, holding a protest, were demanding immediate payment of arrears of salary, provident fund and outstanding gratuity of retired employees.

The workers alleged that the mill management had announced the closure of the mill, putting the future of their families at risk. At a meeting held between the mill management, administration and workers’ representatives in the afternoon, discussions were held to resolve the demands of the workers.

Hoshiarpur SDM Preet Inder Singh Bains, who was present at the meeting on behalf of the administration, said firm’s vice-president KS Dhillon was present in the meeting on behalf of the management. The mill management assured the workers that July’s arrears would be paid between September 10 and 15 and August’s salary, PF and all other dues would be paid between October 20-31. It was decided that till the dues were paid, workers would be able to live in the colony. After the intervention of the administration, the workers called off the strike after the issue was resolved.