Durgapur, May 21: Work at an upcoming water-treatment plant of Essar Oil Ltd in Durgapur resumed today after the company decided to reinstate a guard sacked last week, the move coming a day after industries minister Partha Chatterjee said investors should “win hearts” of residents.

Sources said Essar officials today directed the private agency that had sacked Anwarul Midda to take him back at the Kanksa plant. The private agency, ISCS, has been entrusted with the job of supplying guards to Essar.

“The agency that supplies guards to us has withdrawn the suspension of Midda. Work at the plant resumed today. We will look into the villagers’ other demands,” said Essar spokesperson Rabin Ghosh from Mumbai.

Over 60 villagers led by local Trinamul leader Kebu Chatterjee had on Sunday stalled construction work of the water-treatment plant over Midda’s sacking.

Kebu Chatterjee, however, threatened to stall work again if the villagers’ other demands, such as laying metalled roads and erecting electric poles, were not fulfilled.

Burdwan district magistrate O.S. Meena said he had asked villagers around Durgapur to submit their demands to a panel headed by the block development officer of Kanksa.