ELURU: Tension prevailed for some time at the Polavaram project site on Wednesday when around 2,000 workers staged a protest demonstration demanding justice. The workers have lost their jobs after Transstroy withdrew from the Polavaram project works and Navayuga Construction Company took over the spillway works.The workers say they were not paid salaries for the last four months and all of a sudden they were asked to leave.
“Why should we go without taking salaries due to us? We were not paid salaries for four months and we were forced to take essential commodities on credit from shops in nearby villages. The shop owners are demanding money now. Where will we go for money,” said an agitating worker. Many of those workers came from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, West Bengal and Odisha. These workers were engaged in drilling, carpentry, steelwork, cleaning, welding, painting and other works.
These workers stopped work last month as the contractor has not paid three months’ wage to them. They said they are ready to work for Navayuga, the new contractor. However, it is learnt that Navayuga has already brought its own workers numbering 1,000. Navayuga is expected to commence work in February first week. Meanwhile, small-time merchants in Polavaram are also expressing their fear of losing their money that they lent to the Polavaram project workers.