ROURKELA: Continuing their job protest for the second consecutive day, the tribals displaced by Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) blocked the entry gate of Rourkela ADM office on Tuesday. Work in the ADM office was paralysed as the agitators staged dharna demanding immediate settlement of their pending job claims in the RSP.
On Monday, members of Rourkela Local Displaced Association staged a sit-in outside the ADM office and when denied a written assurance of fulfilment of their demands, they decided to continue the agitation indefinitely. Accordingly, the agitators stayed put outside the office and spent the night under polythene sheets. To maintain law and order, police were also forced to put up a tent at the protest site.
General secretary of the association Maheswar Toppo said on the direction of Orissa High Court, pending applications of around 1,100 youths displaced by the RSP were scrutinised by the ADM office. However, the applications are gathering dust as no further action was taken in this regard. “Basing on the scrutinised applications, the ADM office should sponsor the names of job claimants to RSP. But it is not happening despite several reminders,” he alleged.
Toppo further demanded that the district administration should complete scrutiny of remaining 1,015 applications and send another list to the RSP for settlement of the job claims. “The agitation would continue till the administration sponsors names of 1,100 verified applicants and complete scrutiny of remaining 1,050 applications,” he added.Despite repeated attempts, Rourkela ADM Subhankar Mohapatra was not available for comment.