Bokaro (Jharkhand), Oct 15 The indefinite hunger strike by trained youths from families displaced by the Bokaro Steel Plant Limited (BSL) demanding permanent jobs and a clear recruitment policy entered the sixth day on Thursday, with the agitators blocking gates number 9 and 10 of the plant.
President of ‘Visthapit Naujawan Sangharsh Morcha’, an outfit which is heading the agitation, Arun Kumar Mahato told reporters that the protesters sealed gates number 9 and 10 of the plant.
“We might block other entry points, and even disrupt production, if our demands are ignored,” Mahato said.
Due to the blocking of the two gates, transportation activities through these gates have come to a complete standstill, leading to long queues of trucks and other vehicles outside.
As many as 106 youths have been agitating near the BSL plant gate under the banner of Visthapit Naujawan Sangharsh Morcha, with Congress Bokaro MLA Shweta Singh also participating in the agitation.
“The protesters want regular appointments for 1,500 trained apprentices from displaced families. They also want the earlier reservation arrangement in Class-IV jobs restored. And they want a clear employment policy spelt out for displaced families going forward,” said Mahato.
He alleged that the agitators’ families gave up their land for the plant’s establishment, and claimed that their children are still struggling to find work.
BSL spokesperson Manikant Dhan said that the company is committed to ensuring that all available apprentices are prioritised for contractual employment within the plant by its contractors.
“Out of the 950 available apprentices, 204 have already been engaged as skilled workers on a contractual basis as of October 3. Furthermore, more than 50 additional young apprentices are currently in the process of securing contractual employment following the completion of their safety training,” the spokesperson said.
Additionally, for BSL’s expansion and all other projects, 10 per cent of the total manpower—hired through outsourcing agencies—has been reserved for those displaced by the project, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the blocking of the two gates did not impact the company’s production but admitted that transportation activities were affected to a certain extent.
He appealed to the agitators to return for dialogue with the company on the issue.
Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha has also appealed to the agitators to postpone their agitation due to the festive season. He also asked BSL management to hold dialogues with the protesters and end the deadlock.
(PTI News)
