Bhubaneswar, Oct. 19: The process has begun to declare the owner of Orind Refractory — producing kiln for various blast furnaces across Orissa — as an absconder.
Labour and employment minister Pushpendra Singh Deo said: “A case is going on in the court relating to the unrest at Orind Refractory. We are waiting for the outcome of the hearing. We will soon move to declare the owner as absconder and confiscate his properties.”
The minister said that though the government had invited the owner of the refractory for a discussion, he did not turn up.
“The company has to pay nearly Rs 25 crore to its employees. We are now trying to find out ways to arrange for funds and clear arrears of the employees,” said the minister.
To break the ongoing stalemate, chief secretary Bijay Patnaik convened a meeting at the secretariat this evening. However, tension prevailed as Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey, who has been leading the agitation, was not invited to the meeting.
Tirkey said: “All cases against the workers should first be withdrawn. The workers should also be paid their dues immediately.”
Family members of the workers of the refractory had blocked the NH-23 at Lathikota near Rourkela on Sunday protesting against the arrest of its 224 labourers. The NH-23 connects Chas in Jharkhand with the village of Nuahata at the intersection of NH-42.
Protesting against their arrest, all the 224 labourers had started a hunger strike in jail. The workers of the company started an agitation last Thursday after the company refused to give them their dues.
On Friday, police arrested nearly 400 workers of Orind. The police, however, released all the children and women later. After their bail pleas were rejected by a local court, all the labourers were sent to 14 days’ remand.
The workers also alleged they had not received their salaries for the last 14 months. “We have been doing various kinds of work. But the company continued to deny us our rights. We want the company to release money immediately,” said a worker of the refractory.
Yesterday, family members of arrested workers decided to withdraw the road blockade after the government said it would invite them for a discussion. Ninety-one workers were released from jail today.
