Eighteen point demands by BSP include permanent employment to local people in Aditya Birla Company, Rayagada
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Demands are in sync with objectives of the company- Mazhar Beig, Unit Head
Rayagada, May 4: Thousands of people led by Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) under the leadership of BSP’s State President Saroj Nayak took out a massive rally and assembled in front of the main gate of Aditya Alumina Refineries at Kansariguda in Kashipur block. This is a company under the aegis of Aditya Birla group of companies. Eighteen demand were kept before the company’s unit head Mazhar Beig in the presence of company’s CSR head Tanmay Mohanty. “Mazhar discussed the demands in details with the agitators and assured them to look into those in phased manner”, said Saroj Nayak.
“We have been bullied by a company called Utakal Alumina International Limited(UAIL), an alumina company under Birla Group established in Kashipur 20 years back. Stll there is distress migration because of lack of local employment. This refinery is also a sister concern of UAIL and we will not allow the company to take away an iota of bauxite from Kashipur if the company does not budge to our demands. We had an amicable discussion with company authorities, who have agreed to look into the demands with empathy. We have given them 15 days to come to a workable solution. Today’s congregation is just a trailer. If the company does not listen, we know how to bring them to their toe”, said Nayak.
The demands include provision of at least one thousand permanent employment to educated youth from Rayagada and Koraput districts, training & job to displaced, land loser & all affected families, additional amount of Rs.1 crore per acre land already acquired before 17 years, resettling to families of Biriguda & Kadapadar through immediate RPDAC meeting, displacement status to Pahundi & Upar Kodinga villages, fair compensation for the pipeline coming from Shankarada to Aditya Alumina Refinery & jobs to families affected, a Community Centre with a seating capacity of 1000 persons, an international standard medical college in Lakshmipur, increasing number of seats in Aditya Birla Public School(ABPS) in Ushapada with free education for affected families & establishing ABPS in Laxmipur & Bankamba, free treatment for affected families in Ushapada medical, improvemet of Totaguda Chowk-Dangasil road with high mast lights, making all the land losers as shareholders in the company.
Responding to the foremost demand of providing 1000 jobs to local people, Beig said that the company has given 80% employment to local people & there are already 1000 local people employed in the company apart from around 100 persons in the office. Company has picked up hundreds of youths, both boys and girls, and sent them outside for qualitative skill training outside the area namely in KIIT for ITI training, diploma course in CV Raman Engg College, apparel training for 90 girls outside the state with an expenditure of Rs.4.5 lakhs per trainee. Apart from this massive direct employment the company is also providing civil works to local people, who do not desire to get directly employed. BSP’s General Secretary Gangadhar Puala refutes the claim of the company on employment. “By simple observation it is not seen that 80% jobs are provided to local people. We will retrieve information regarding this through RTI Act. People have earlier driven away multinational companies from Odisha. We are not anti-industry; but if we find the company’s claim abusive, we are competent to initiate drastic step like POSCO”, said Puala
Company has set up a hospital with 100 beds facility. Earlier the Refinery established a hospital for Corona affected persons to take care of their precarious conditions by providing quarantine facilities like bed, food, medicine and 24X7 care. Apart from a centre of excellence like an apparel factory, first of its kind in the region, company has several other plans for all round development leading to a pro-people productive process in the area, assured Beig.
