A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: Despite consecutive prayers and petitions, demonstrations of protest programmes, several series of talks, NHPC Limited has still not regularized the jobs of over 300 workers of Assam working since 2000 in the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) being constructed at Gerukamukh in Dhemaji district.
Expressing vehement resentment over the issue, the Contract Basis Workers' Union (CBWU), NHPC Limited initiated a series of stirs against the power generating corporation from Tuesday demanding the regularization of the jobs of contract basis workers.
In this connection, Contract Basis Workers' Union, NHPC Limited president Premeswar Saikia and general secretary Jhony Pegu in a press release said, "NHPC promised in black and white to regularize our jobs and to appoint us permanently in SLHP while holding talks between the CBWU and NHPC Limited. But NHPC Limited kept the job regularization process pending under the pretext of anti-big dam agitation. Moreover, the NHPC authority also kept the job regularization process pending by declaring that the recommendation of the State Government was required in order to regularize the job of contract basis workers. But the State Government has not taken any steps in this regard though we submitted consecutive applications to the Chief Minister, along with local MLAs, MP and ministers. Now NHPC Limited has been constructing the SLHP on war footing since it inked the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Government of Assam on August 23 in 2019. NHPC Limited is betraying us and destroying our future without regularizing our jobs."
The press release further stated, "NHPC limited could engage the workers of the Kurishu and Logtak Projects at SLHP by regularizing their jobs. It could appoint the unemployed youths of the State of Arunachal Pradesh, but it cannot appoint over 300 youths of Assam in the mega SLHP, which is projected to 2000 megawatt electricity. It is unfortunate."
In support of the demand, CBWU, NHPC Limited initiated an extensive postering campaign on Tuesday in several districts of the State. This campaign will last until Wednesday. Then the organization will demonstrate protest by wearing black badges on April 7 and April 8, boycott on April 19 and April 20, sit-in strike on April 21, hunger strike on April 22 and April 23 and total sine-die non-cooperation from April 25.
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