Thakor threatens agitation at Nano plant over jobs to locals

OBC leader Alpesh Thakor today threatened to "lock down" the Tata Nano plant at Sanand in the state tomorrow, alleging that the big companies setting up plants in Gujarat did not employ local youths.
The state government deployed a large police force in Sanand and surrounding areas following the threat given by Thakor, the convener of OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch.
"Companies coming to Gujarat have to give 85 per cent employment in their plants to local youths. However this rule is not followed and lakhs of Gujarat youths are unemployed," Thakor said, speaking to reporters here.
"These companies are either fooling the government or the state government is hand-in-glove with them," he said.

"We demand the state government should pressurise these companies to give 85 per cent jobs to local youths. Otherwise we will lock down these companies," Thakor said.
"As a part of this campaign we will ock down Tata Nano plant of Sanand tomorrow," he said.

The state government claimed that the locals did not support the agitation.
"Sarpanchs of around 45 villages around Sanand have given a memorandum to the government saying they do not support the lock-down call by Thakor," Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said.
"In Sanand GIDC, Tata Nano, Ford and other important companies have established plants. Sanand tehsil has become prosperous because of these companies. Land prices in surrounding areas have gone up and local people are happy," Jadeja said.

The government had not given approval for the rally that Thakor and his supporters planned to take out tomorrow leading to Sanand GIDC, the minister said, and appealed the people not to join the protest.
Tata's Nano plant was shifted here from Singur in West Bengal after it faced protest on land acquisition. Though the production of Nano declined as the model did not prove to be much popular, Tata Motors manufactures other cars at the plant.