Section 144 imposed at Essar Steel plant site

The Jagatsinghpur district administration has imposed Section 144 near Essar Steel plant at Paradip following clashes between two rival employees union which led to halt in construction work of the plant.

Rabindranath Kanhar, tahasildar of Kujanga block said, “The administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc for breach of peace in the plant site. We have kept strict vigil on the situation and effort is on to resolve the issue through negotiation.”

Tension erupted near Essar Steel plant site due to rift between two unions. Despite prohibitory order, hundreds of activists of United Action Committee (UAC) led by its president Sanjay Swain demonstrated in front of the main gate of the plant.

While UAC leader claimed that his union had the backing of other splinter groups like Paradip Krushak Manch (PKM), Gramya Surakhya Samiti (GSS), All Employee Youth Association (AEYA), Nuagarh, one Sudhal Swain, a member of PKM said, none of the three groups is supporting UAC.

The mob led by UAC staged mass dharna and demanded rehabilitation assistance for displaced families, peripheral development, ITI training to the local educated youth, health services and jobs to local projected affected persons in the construction work.

The other faction said, the demands raised by UAC is meaningless and is not legitimate.

An official of Essar Steel said, “Essar Steel management is sensitive towards the legitimate demands of land losers’ families and workers engaged in the plant. The workers and employees were barred from coming to work at the plant site, so construction work was hit by the stir.”

Paradip police said, two platoons of police have been deployed near the area to thwart any law and order situation.