Keonjhar: Labourers along with land losers and affected people Sunday staged a sit-in outside Brand Alloys Steel and Power Limited factory at Murusuan in Keonjhar district protesting the company’s alleged negligence in treating four injured workers and its arbitrary work.
As tempers rand high, police were deployed in the area. The agitators stated that mishaps took place frequently inside the factory, leaving workers and labourers unsafe.
They also alleged the company has not engaged experienced engineers who can work efficiently to ward off mishaps.
“Even the factory and broiler department does not regularly monitor the machinery and safety measures inside the plant on a regular basis,” they pointed out.
Over a hundred people led by sarpanchs of Palaspanga, Nuagan and affected people of Parjanpur and people’s representatives pressed for fulfillment of their charter of five demands.
They demanded that the company bear the medical cost of the injured till they are cured. Other demands included Rs 10 lakh assistance to each family of the injured, job provision for one member of their families, pollution control measures and assessment of damage suffered by the farmers.
The agitators held discussions with general manger PK Sahu regarding their demands, but it remained inconclusive.
They alleged that the company management threatened people and used pressure tactics with the help of police. The protestors had detained a constable for some time.
They stated that many people handed over their farmland to the company, but failed to get right price for their land.
Notably, four labourers sustained grievous burn injuries last Friday while they were cleaning a dust filter. Three of them were admitted to the district headquarters hospital.
The plant authorities allegedly did not provide medical help to injured Gurubari Munda. PNN
