Contractual engineers demonstrate in front of the Essar unit near Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, April 18: The local contractual engineers of the Essar steel project near Paradip today sat on a dharna in front of the plant site demanding job security, an enhanced pay package for the local engineers and set up of a rehabilitation colony for the land losers.

“The plant authorities are meting out stepmotherly attitude towards the technically skilled local youths. While technical persons recruited by the plant management are being given considerably higher salary package, the locals, particularly from the land losers’ families, are being paid in pittance,” said Smruti Ranjan Samantaray, a striking engineer on contractual payroll.

“The company has engaged us on a paltry sum of Rs 6,000 per month salary. Though we are qualified engineers, yet candidates from other areas were hired with higher package. My father owned 3.66 acres and the project has taken possession of our ancestral land against the compensation payment. The company has committed to employ at least one member from the land-losing family. They have provided technical jobs to 103 degree and diploma holders. But the salary package is abysmally low. Moreover, we have been asked to undergo a year long training while others have been excluded from mandatory training,” 23-year-old engineering graduate Samantaray said.

“We have lost our landed property to the plant. But the plant management, in return, has been treating us shabbily. Unless we are treated at par with the other job holders, we would go ahead with an indefinite strike,” said Ramesh Khatua, another degree engineer from a land loser family.

“The demands are genuine as they are being paid lowly amount of Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 despite their qualification. The administration is sympathetic towards their plight. Tomorrow, the administration is taking up the issue with the management to ensure that they are paid a higher salary package,” said Kujang tehsildar Basudev Pradhan.

Project manager of the Essar steel in Paradip M.K. Thakur said: “We are discussing over the demands of the striking engineers. We are hopeful of an amicable settlement of the issue.”

On the other hand, grievance is high against the company over delay in bringing up the resettlement colony. The villages falling under the project area are Handia, Nuagada, Bhitargada and Bijoychandrapur on the outskirts of Paradip. “The Essar steel management had committed to acquire 124 acres in Chakradharpur locality for establishment of a full-fledged colony to rehabilitate the displaced families. In the resettlement and peripheral development and advisory committee meeting, chaired by the revenue divisional commissioner (central) on 24 October 2010, the plant management had assured to acquire land for the proposed colony by 2010 year-end. It had also stated that the colony would be ready for human habitation by 2011 year-end. However, nothing has yet been done,” said Tofan Swain of Gramya Surakhya Samity, an outfit floated by the people displaced by the project.

Apart from the peoples’ protest, the six-million-tonne per annum capacity Essar steel mill is also besieged with accusations from green brigades who contend that dredging of the riverbed is out and out illegal and arbitrary.

“Essar steel mill has made mockery of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act. The carrying out of dredging violates the CRZ norms and is also putting the safety of several villages along the riverside at risk,” said secretary of the Wildlife Society of Orissa Biswajit Mohanty.