BY BOM LAL GIRI, Nawalpur, May 6: The Bhrikuti Paper Mill in Gaindakot, Nawalpur, once a source of national pride, used to meet nearly 60 per cent of the country’s total demand for paper. Today, however, the factory is overgrown with bushes and resembles a deserted wasteland. All its structures are deteriorating; tin roofs have rusted and collapsed. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a skeleton. Machines worth millions have rusted and become unusable. It has now been 15 years since the factory shut down.
When the factory closed, not only did hundreds of workers lose their livelihoods, but the country also became dependent on imported paper, resulting in millions of rupees flowing abroad. In recent times, the site has turned into a hub for drug abuse, which has deeply concerned residents. As a result, on Monday, locals submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Balendra Shah through Chief District Officer Bhawishwor Pandey, urging the government to immediately revive the factory with a new plan.
Established in 1983, the factory operated continuously until it was completely shut down on March 3, 2011, and has since remained dilapidated. Originally owned and operated by the government, the Bhrikuti Paper Mill was later handed over to the private sector (Golchha Organisation).
Local campaigner Ganesh Sapkota said, “The factory is not only closed but has become severely dilapidated and turned into ruins. On one hand, it is becoming a centre for substance abuse; on the other, there is a risk that strong winds could blow away rusted metal sheets and injure nearby residents or travellers on the highway.”
According to Sapkota, leaders of all political parties, in their election agenda, have repeatedly promised to restore the factory, but they ignore it after winning the polls. Spread over 52 bighas in central Nepal, the deteriorating condition of the factory has negatively impacted not just Gaindakot Municipality but the overall beauty of the entire district.
Under Sapkota’s leadership, a campaign called “Clean, Beautiful, Green Gaindakot, Continuous Saturday Campaign” has demanded that the federal government promptly manage the factory site and develop it into agriculture, industry, or a model organised market with a clear plan. They have given the government a five-day deadline.
“We have drawn the Prime Minister’s serious attention to this issue and set a five-day deadline,” he said. “If no concrete action or response is taken within this period, we will be forced to launch protests.”
333 workers unpaid wages
While 22 temporary workers, 44 contract workers, and 92 probationary permanent workers were paid and dismissed immediately after the factory’s closure, 333 permanent workers claim they have yet to receive their due salaries and remaining payments. According to Damodar Tiwari, who worked at the factory since 1985, around Rs. 400 million is still owed to these workers.
“We worked here for 25 years, but after the factory shut down, we were left with neither jobs nor pay. We are the most affected,” said Tiwari. “We hope the state will understand our problem.” Despite multiple written agreements between workers, employees, and management promising payment, Tiwari says the management has yet to take any action.
Tiwari also suggested that the government form an expert task force to study the best possible use of the site and implement its recommendations, which would benefit both locals and the state. He stressed that it is urgent to address the unsightly condition of the site along the highway.
The Bhrikuti Paper Mill was built in 1982 with assistance from the Chinese government and handed over to Nepal to make the country self-reliant in paper production. Its decline began after privatisation in 1992.
Under the policy of transferring state responsibilities to the private sector, the government, led by Girija Prasad Koirala, sold the factory in 1992 to Golchha Organisation, Kavra Group, and Konkraft, including all its land and structures.The Rising Nepal
