Contract workers of SLHP decide not to cooperate with NHPC Limited

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: NHPC Limited has allegedly 'betrayed' the contract basis workers, working since 2000 at Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) being constructed at Gerukamukh. Under such circumstances, the Contract Basis Workers' Union (CBWU), NHPC Limited, has decided to initiate non-cooperation with the NHPC.

Contract Basis Workers' Union, NHPC Limited, president Premeswar Saikia, executive president Pradip Saikia and general secretary Jhony Pegu announced this in a press conference convened by the organization at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Monday. Addressing the media persons, Premeswar Saikia and Jhony Pegu stated that a total of 272 local unemployed youths were appointed in SLHP on contract basis as driver, electrician, laboratory technician, computer operator, welder and cook since the construction work of the controversial big dam project started.

"Later, NHPC promised in black and white to regularize our jobs and to appoint us permanently while holding talks between the CBWU and NHPC Limited. But NHPC Limited has stopped the job regularization process under the pretext of anti-big dam agitation. Moreover, the NHPC authority has 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," said Premeswar Saikia in the press conference.

In this connection, the CBWU alleged partiality on the part of the NHPC Limited regarding the job regularization of the contract basis workers who hailed from Assam because the NHPC Limited has already regularized the jobs of contract basis workers who hail from the State of Arunachal Pradesh.

The president and the general secretary of the organization further stated that their organization called on State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Naba Kumar Doley and Dhemaji MLA Dr. Ranoj Kumar Pegu regarding the job regularization of the fellow workers. But the minister and MLA concerned allegedly paid no attention to the issue. In this connection, the union later called on State Finance Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. The president and the general secretary of the union said that Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma suggested them to meet Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah in this regard. They alleged that the MP also did not pay heed to their long-pending issue but advocated in favour of NHPC Limited.

According to the organization, NHPC has not appointed the contract basis workers and engaged them to work by paying just a nominal amount as their salary. Thus, they have been deprived of the due facilities for 20 long years. In the press conference, the president and general secretary of the organization showed proof of regularizing the job of contract basis workers working in the Kurishu Project operated by NHPC Limited, in support of their demand.

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