In an open letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) on Thursday criticised the State Government for its lackadaisical attitude in handling the Nayagarh Sugar Factory issue.
The Sangathan alleged that the Government is playing with the fate of the poor sugarcane growers and workers of the factory by not directing the factory owner to pay dues of farmers and wage of factory workers.
NKS State coordinator Akshaya Kumar said the Government had sold the factory to Trailokya Mishra in two phases. In the agreement, the Government had told the factory owner to run it and to look into the interest of sugarcane growers and workers. But after getting bank loan, the factory owner shut the unit without paying `3.76 crore to farmers and 10-month salary of workers, he added.
Kumar said the farmers and factory workers have been demanding repayments of their dues, but nobody pays heed to their requests. Dharna of farmers and workers in front of the Nayagarh Collectorate entered tenth day on Thursday, he added.
“Ten days have already passed, but neither the Collector nor your officials or people’s representatives got to them for a discussion. Is it your ego or insensitive towards farmers and labourers,” asked Kumar in the letter to Chief Minister.
Sangathan’s joint coordinator Seshadeb Nanda said they would take the issue to the streets and then intensify the agitation across the State if the State Government fails to pay the dues of farmers and employment to jobless factory workers.