Staffs and displaced employees of the Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited along with their family members staged a dharna on the Duburi Square near the plant at Kalanganagar district recently, demanding payment of seven months’ pending salary and immediate resumption of the plant.
The NINL plant has suspended its production of all units from March 2020 after the Union and State Governments decided to disinvest 100 per cent share from it. As a result, regular and contractual staffs of NINL have not got salary for seven months from February 2020 and are facing financial hardship, said Neelachal Executive Association general secretary Ajit Kumar Pradhan. During dharna held from 8 am to 3 pm on September 18, two employees even tried to self immolate. But they were captured by alert police personnel.
They withdrew the strike after the Sukinda Tehsildar, the ASP and the IIC Kalinganagar PS promised in written that they would arrange a meeting with the district Collector for discussion of their demand within 7 days.
Sukinda MLA Pritiranjan Ghadai has written a letter to the Chief Secretary to take up the matter with MMTC for release of salary and arrears of the employees as early as possible.