SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 16: The production of urea in Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited (HURL) Sindri remained hit for the 3rd consecutive day on Wednesday following ongoing agitation by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Despite the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC by the district administration, five activists of the JMM have been sitting on a dharna near the plant. They said that they would continue the agitation till their six-point charter of demands is accepted.
The HURL management on Monday had to stop the ammonia production in the plant after the agitating JMM activists blocked entry and exit points by staging a dharna at all 9 gates. However, they lifted the blockade at 4 pm but the management did not resume production.
“The situation has not become congenial to start the production. Police are of course deployed at the gate but agitators are still on a dharna,” said HURL Sindri vice-president Dipten Roy on Wednesday morning.
The management claims to have provided 76% of jobs to locals in the plant against their demand of 75% by the agitators. The list of employment has been provided to Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto.
Notably, the HURL Sindri unit is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The plant which started production on November 7 this year, can produce 3850 tons of urea and 2250 tons of ammonia per day.
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The agitating JMM activists are demanding 75% of jobs in the plant be provided to locals as per the state government policy along with five other demands.
“We are following the law and order and that is why only five activists have sat on dharna in the wake of imposition of Section 144. Other members are waiting in the party office and can join us in a call,” said Ritenjan Kumbhkar, who is leading the agitation. Laxman Rajak, Ujjwal Pramanik, and Shyam Rajak are other members sitting on Dharna.
Interestingly, a JMM leader in Sindri alleged that on the pretext of agitation, the HURL management is covering its failure.
“The plant has not been completed properly and that is why it has not been dedicated to the nation so far. The PMO is mounting pressure on the management to give a final report for the official announcement,” said the JMM leader.
Meanwhile, the All India FCI VSS Employees Association has expressed concern over the ongoing agitation against the HURL plant.
“The Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) of former MP AK Roy and other left-wing trade unions had launched a similar agitation and strike against the Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI) Sindri which ultimately led to its closure. So, the association requests all quarters to solve the crisis in the interest of Sindri as well as the state,” said Sewa Singh, the president of the Association.
