KPM resumes production after 25 days

Karnaphuli Paper Mills (KPM) has resumed production on Wednesday morning after 25 days following the re-establishment of gas supply.

“Until now, only one out of three machines has begun production,” said MA Kader, the managing director of KPM.

The KPM manager further said that the uncertainty that had arisen due to the suspension of production will soon be over as workers have returned to work with full force.

On August 4, the mill had stopped production due to the suspension of gas supply from the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL).
KPM authorities alleged that KGDCL stopped gas supply to the mill for payment of arrears of Tk700 crore.

But KGDCL denied KPM’s allegation and blamed a technical glitch at the mills’ metering station for the shutdown.

“There is a technical glitch in KPM’s distribution line. KPM has to repair it on its own,” said Khaiz Ahmed Mozumber, managing director of KGDCL.

A KPM official said that due to the recent shutdown, the mill had already incurred a loss of nearly Tk 5.24 crore in the last 25 days.

Established in 1953 at Chandraghona in Chattogram, the KPM used to be the largest paper mill in Asia with an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons.

However, the mills’ current annual production is 6000-10,000 metric tons.