Biratnagar, January 9

Sensing the possibility that the property of Biratnagar Jute Mill will be sold off, locals of Biratnagar have launched a campaign to save the mill.

At a press meet organised today, committee Chair Dharmananda Sanjel said that a conspiracy was being hatched to sell the property of the mill. “Some people are actively involved in seizing the property of the mill by reducing the government’s share in the mill. The game is on to plunder government property worth Rs five billion,” Sanjel said, adding, “In order to capture the property, the government share has been reduced to 33 per cent from 68.”

Sanjel demanded that the sold-out government share be returned. He urged the government to operate the mill with a long-term plan. He also demanded an investigation into irregularities and action against the guilty. He argued that since the people in the mill management committee were not well-intentioned, the mill could not come into operation regularly.

Earlier, the Ministry of Industry had written to the mill management committee to retain the government’s 68 per cent shares. However, the management committee has sold out the government shares arbitrarily.

Around two months ago, the ministry had written the to the mill management committee to retain 68 per cent government shares. Around 40 days ago, the ministry wrote to the management again and issued a directive to maintain the government’s 68 per cent shares.

Biratnagar Jute Mill General Manager Nilhari Kafle, however, claimed that they had not curtailed the government shares. “The government had 31,023 units of shares in 1996. The share ratio is the same at present too,” Kafle added.

The Office of the Company Registrar had written to the mill on November 28, 2017 directing it to act according to the letter it had dispatched earlier on 10 June 2009. In the earlier letter, the company registrar had directed the mill management to allot 45,000 units of shares worth Rs 7,200,000 at the price of Rs 160 per unit. Kafle, however, said the letter dispatched in 2009 had come to his office very late.