Jorhat, June 27: The management of the Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymers Limited (BCPL) has made it clear through a press communiqué that recruitment for different posts in the organisation is done according to presidential directives/guidelines issued from time to time, including maintenance of reservation roster of SC/ST and OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates.

The communiqué comes in the wake of widespread allegations by various organisations that the BCPL was not following proper recruitment procedures.

Whenever any vacancy arises in the non-executive cadre, the same is notified to local employment exchanges as well as issued through press advertisements to local newspapers. Based on the short-listing and screening of candidates as specified in recruitment rules with regard to age, percentage of marks, experience and other parameters, written tests/group discussion/interview is conducted, the release further said.

“As of today, 70 per cent of the total employees belong to the state of Assam. However, it is not possible on the part of the BCPL to recruit the candidates only from a particular category. As far as engagement of locals is concerned, it has been already clarified that contractors will engage 100 per cent local people, including project affected persons (PAP), in unskilled category in different contract jobs,” the release stated.

The management said even the contractors would give preference to local people in semi-skilled and skilled technical work.

The district authorities have already issued a notification to this effect and a sub-committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of P.K. Rajkhowa, additional deputy commissioner of Dibrugarh, in which representatives of the BCPL as well as representatives from all such organisations have been included.

Further, the BCPL has spent Rs 1 crore towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities every year for socio-economic development of nearby areas in consultation with deputy commissioner, Dibrugarh, the communiqué said.

According to the department of public enterprises guidelines, CSR initiatives have to be undertaken by any company only after it is fully established. However, considering the location of Assam in the Northeast, the BCPL is implementing them in and around areas of project sites with a view to improve the living standard of local populace in spite of the fact that the company is still in project stage.

“We are undertaking CSR schemes in the area of environment protection, education and literacy enhancement, among others,” the release said.

Some such activities listed by the company are drinking water and sanitation, healthcare and medicine and community and infrastructure development. The communiqué also mentioned projects that included construction of roads, installation of transformers, construction of community centres, which have been undertaken in Dibrugarh district, especially near the project site.

The company has also extended support through sponsorship and advertisements in publications to various establishments/academic institutes to organise academic, cultural, literary and sporting events.

The BCPL management clarified that a green belt was developed along the boundary wall of the company with the help of the state forest department, but it was damaged and destroyed, as the fencing and barbed wires were stolen. It said at this time, it was not possible to spend more money on re-fencing the green belt area. Once BCPL generates revenue it will again take up green belt development, the release added.

The company is under the administrative control of the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, and so it is not possible to construct any statue on the plant premises, the release said.