Kokrajhar, Aug. 16: Thousands of local people, including student organisations, today staged a protest in front of Indian Oil Corporation Limited's Bongaigaon refinery gate at Dhaligaon in Chirang district, demanding job reservation for locals and a review of IOCL's recruitment policy with respect to Assam.

The protest was jointly organised by the Chirang district committee of All Bodo Students Union (Absu), All Assam Students Union (AASU), Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad, All Bodoland Minority Students Union, All Assam Minority Students Union and the All Koch-Rajbongshi Students Union. Over a thousand people participated in the protest. They shouted slogans and put up a blockade for nearly an hour from 7am before being taken away by police.

They submitted two separate memoranda of demands - one to the Union petroleum minister, through the Chirang district deputy commissioner, and another to the IOCL chairman. The demands include 100 per cent engagement of permanent non-executives from the state (Northeast), reservation of 60 per cent of executive posts for local educated youths, engaging all local educated youths with relevant qualifications as apprentice and as skilled, casual and contractual labours. They also demanded the setting up of a "skill development centre" in the area.

They demanded ST/SC reservation according to government notification and urged the company to utilise the corporate social responsibility fund for benefit of local people within 50km radius of the refinery. "We have observed that the prevailing recruitment policy being adopted by IOCL is not in the interest of indigenous youths. The recent recruitment process of Bongaigaon refinery has revealed that due to policy guidelines, local youths are not given opportunity in the recruitment process, creating a deep sense of resentment among them," said Chirang district Absu president Phanin Boro.

AASU Bongaigaon district committee president Parthajit Ray said, "The local people were optimistic that setting up of the refinery would solve their problem of unemployment but the present recruitment policy is going to deprive them. It is creating chaos rather than a solution in all matters related to employment, education, socio-political and security of life and property of the people."

He urged the authorities concerned to review the recruitment guidelines for the greater interest and benefit of the locals.

The students' leaders threatened of rigorous agitattion if their demands were not met.