In a bid to revive the century-old match factory’s of Assam, a group of youths of Dhubri district has started a campaign through their different social media platforms which have now been appreciated and getting wide support from all sections of peoples basically the youths across the district since the last couple of weeks.
The lone match factory of Assam ‘WIMCO’ established in 1926 by the then Sweden Company was once providing employment to over and more than 2000 peoples since its establishment from the various parts of the country have now in endorsed condition only due to the utter negligence and step-motherly attitude of the state industry department and government as well.
Notably, the WIMCO match factory of Dhubri which produced the famous ‘LOTA’ and ‘HOMELITES’ brand was established in 1926 by the then Sweden Company in Dhubri, the old district of Goalpara, in the western part of the Assam which spreading over 132 bighas of land.
The match factory then was established under the name of ‘Assam Match Company’.
And this match factory was the first industry of Assam which was celebrated the first Labour Day in the year 1935.
But in the year 1979, the Assam Match Company was occupied by two Indian industrialists S K Jatia and R K Jatia and the old name of Assam Match Company was changed and re-named as Western India Match Company (WIMCO).
But, during the nineteen decades, the management with their ulterior motive has started to shift the machinery parts to the other location and their after, the Supreme Court verdict of 1997, through which the court has totally banned upon the cutting of forest trees had also helped the factory management to shut down the factory forever in 1997.
In 2001, the match factory management has sold it to ITC business group.
Through their memorandum signed by a number of renowned citizens of the district has urged to the state industry minister to either revive the defunct WIMCO, the lone match factory of Assam, or to set up an industrial park at the premises of said match factory at Dhubri at an earliest.
Dr Debamoy Sanyal while expressing their concern over the issue was said,” We were hoping that ITC business group would develop the said area and will be set up any big industry meant for the development of the district, but even after 20 years has passed since the possession of the land has been taken over by ITC, not a single industry activities have so far yet been started by ITC.”
Dipankar Mazumder, a social activist of the district and who is leading the social campaigning for reviving the match factory said, “It’s very unfortunate that despite having the double engine government from Dispur to Delhi, the lone defunct industry of Assam could not have yet been revived only due to the step-motherly attitude of the government.”