Paradip: Around 73 families, who had been displaced following establishment of the Iffco fertiliser plant here, resorted to indefinite agitation demanding jobs for at least one member of each family.

The agitation seeking jobs for the displaced and the land losers commenced on Thursday.

Abhay Oswal-promoted Oswal Chemicals and Fertilisers had sold off its di-ammonium phosphate unit in Paradip to the co-operative major Indian Farmers' Fertiliser Co-operative (Iffco) in October 2005.

The land losers' families have been meted out a raw deal both by the erstwhile Oswal group and Iffco. "The Oswal group had acquired 108 acres from us. The land losers were employed by the group. However, after Oswal sold its property to Iffco, we lost our jobs. The Iffco management later did not honour our claims for employment in the refurbished fertiliser plant," said Mihir Nayak, a displaced family member.

"We are running from pillar to post. The aggrieved families have knocked at the doors of authorities concerned. But, our legitimate grievances are yet to be redressed," he said.

The company has deliberately shied away from protecting larger interest of the affected people. The company officials had pledged to fulfil demands on several occasions following the act of mediation by the district administration. But, things have come a cropper as people, who have lost out their land to the project, continue to suffer, the agitators said.

"Iffco always lays emphasis on generating employment avenues for the affected landowners besides the people living in the peripheral areas of the project. The company is being strictly guided by the Rehabilitation and Relief Policy formed by the state government," said Iffco public relation officer Prasanna Kumar Beura.

However keeping in view the larger interest of people living on the periphery of the refinery complex, the company had sympathetically considered the claims of the land-losers and engaged them in various works in the company. But, they were disengaged as they did not turn up regularly, he said.

"The agitating people have moved Orissa High Court. The company may engage them on contractual assignment. However, we are waiting for completion of the court litigations," the official said.