The High Court has ordered to maintain status quo on a writ petition filed by 168 workers who were forced to take voluntary retirement in 2011 from the Travancore Electro Chemical Industries Limited (TECIL).
In the petition, former workers submitted several documents to support their claim that two hydel power projects of the Somani Group, which owns TECIL, were changed from Captive Project (CPP) to Individual Power Projects (IPP) and later sold to another private party, flouting the MoU signed between the government and the group.
The projects had a production capacity of 15 MW to supply power to TECIL in Karikayam and Allungal, near Seethathodu, in Pathanamthitta.
Babu Kocheria, leader of the workers, who filed the petition, told Express that they have noted in the writ that out of the 40 acres of land in Chingavanam, 11.5 acres is government land and the remaining bought by Somani Group at a nominal price.
“As per the Land Reformation Act, an individual cannot hold more than 15 acres of land for needs other than industrial use.
The company was locked out in 1999, and now there is no hope that it will be reopened. So the government should acquire the surplus 14 acres from Somani Group.
We have also mentioned in the petition that Somani is planning to sell the land to private parties and have taken an advance of nearly `6 crore,” he added. The petitioners also pointed out that by reducing the dues of the TECIL from `60 crore to a onetime payment of `14 crore and through the selling of the hydel projects, both the KSEB and the state government have suffered losses worth several crores.
Closure Package
As per the agreement with a section of former TECIL workers, a scrap dealer Manikandan had promised to release `50 lakh to 25 workers. The workers had agreed to the provisions.
“We do not have any issues with them getting the compensation. But, as per their agreement with the scrap dealer, the remains of the dismantled factory too would be taken away in parts.
Though it is not an issue mentioned in our writ, technically the factory should not be dismantled. We hope that the Home Department will ensure that there is no contempt of court in this regard.” Kocheria added.