A company constructing a road tunnel in Uttarkashi has sacked workers citing a financial crisis stemming from the tunnel’s collapse two years ago, which had grabbed nationwide headlines.

The 65 sacked workers of the Silkyara Bend-Barkot Road tunnel project have launched an indefinite dharna since Saturday in protest.

“The company gave us a notice a few days ago and said that they were unable to pay us because of the losses it suffered during the November 2023 accident. The company has acquired our land to build its offices and workshops. We reminded the officers of our agreement that besides paying compensation for our land, they had promised us permanent jobs. But they refused to allow us inside the tunnel on Saturday,” said Khush Pal, a technician on the dharna.

A 57-metre stretch of the under-construction tunnel had collapsed on November 12, 2023, trapping 41 workers. They were pulled out after 16 days by a group of rat-hole miners who assisted the rescue teams of the central and the state governments.

Rajdeep Singh Parmar, block pramukh of Dunda under which Silkyara falls, has also joined the dharna in solidarity with the workers.

“The Navayuga Engineering Company Limited must not breach the agreement. We can’t allow this to happen in our area. They have already taken away the workers’ land and are now playing tricks with them,” Parmar said.

“The workers stood by the company when it was in deep crisis, but now the company is ditching them,” he added.

Vivek Chand, a sacked worker, was quoted as telling local reporters: “The company can return our land and take back whatever they have given to us. But we will not give up without getting our properties or job back,” he said.

The ₹1,383-crore project to build a 4.5km tunnel to shorten the distance between Yamunotri and Gangotri was conceived by the Narendra Modi government. Several agencies have alleged that the project was kicked off without an environmental impact study.

Some sacked workers alleged that the construction company had built its personal assets in the area on the pretext of doing government work and would join the hospitality industry.

Company officials said they had followed Uttarakhand’s labour laws and given notices to all 65 workers on August 2.

“The company is in a deep financial crisis after the 2023 incident. We had served notices to the workers a week ago and given them a month’s honorarium in advance. The management will have to decide on withdrawing its order,” Sri Ram, project manager of the company, was quoted as telling reporters.

Several workers from outside Uttarakhand did not return to work after the cave-in.