Accusing the State-owned iron ore producer NMDC of not keeping its promises, villagers who were on a hunger strike since January 4 shut its steel plant venture at Nagarnar, official said.
No work was carried out at the plant as both contractors and workers preferred to stay away. Shouting slogan against the company more than ten thousand people of the nearby area staged demonstration and protest near the plant site. Even several ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders of the neighbouring Koraput district of Odisha state also joined the protesters.
According to protest leaders lakhan Baghel and Rajaram Yadav the company had promised job in NMDC to about 1,052 land losers but never kept its promises. We have been protesting against it since last 14 days, they said. All works in the plant had to stop as the protest turned violent on thursday, they said.
On the other hand the plant authorities in a letter to the affected people said 838 people nominated by the affected farmers will get life-long a monthly pension of Rs 5,580 with effect from August 14, 2012. The company will send the cheques to the district collector by January 26. The cheques would be distributed to the beneficiaries by the district collector, they said.
Those who are eligible for higher amount of pension would be paid the arrears with effect from August 14, 2012 after they file affidavits. Similarly the company will take steps to ensure that the people get training and regular employment on the basis of their qualification. The company appealed to the protesters to withdraw the strike. NMDC plants to produce three million tonne of steel per annum at it‘s maiden steel venture at Nagarnar. It will source raw material from its iron ore reserve at Bailadila for which it is also laying a slurry pipeline.