HAZARIBAG: The three-day lockout of the Damodar Valley Corporation's Koderma thermal power station at Banjhedih by the Visthapit Sangarh Samiti Mazdoor Sangh was called off on Sunday.
The agitation was withdrawn following a discussion between the protesters who had the support of three local MLAs Annapura Devi of the RJD and Uma Shanker Akela and Amit Kumar Yadav of the BJP and the DVC management at Koderma. The protesters were demanding that their 11-point charter of demand be fulfilled.
DVC director A K Mallik, who initiated the negotiations with the MLAs, said the management agreed to consider some of the demands like giving employment to causal workers in the construction of the plant and providing 64 tubewells in the 32 villages of displaced people.
Sources said the company management had not guaranteed the displaced persons permanent employment in the plant nor had it agreed to provide power from the 1,000 MW power station to the affected villages when the project is commissioned.
The DVC authorities had explained to the agitators that although the company generates power but it cannot distribute for domestic consumption since the distribution is made by the state electricity boards concerned.
The sources said the management had informed the villages that the next round of talks would be on April 27 in Ranchi in the presence of chief minister Arjun Munda and DVC chairman Devendra Singh. The three MLAs will also be present in the meeting.
All affiliated trade unions like the DVC Officers' Forum, DVC Shramik Union, DVC Karamchari Sangh and DVC Mazdoor Sangh and DVC Kamgar Union criticised the agitators and described the demands as illegal.
General secretary of the DVC Officers Forum Sanjay Kumar Singh claimed that the company incurred a lost of Rs 30 crore because of suspension of work. "The agitation has also delayed the scheduled commissioning time by more than three weeks.
The plant was scheduled to be commissioned in June but it will not be possible now," said Singh.
Times of India
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