The Margherita unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS) and around 40 security guards who were terminated from their jobs at the Coal India Limited (CIL) last month staged a protest in front of the CIL office at Margherita in Upper Assam Tinsukia district on Monday.
The protesting security guards demanded regularisation of their service. “Though we were appointed on contract, we were serving the company for the past 22 years in Tirap, Tikak and Ledo coal fields. Where will we go now and how will we bring up our children?” a security guard who was protesting, asked.
Several coal-laden trucks got stuck temporarily as they were not allowed by the CIL authorities to leave the campus as precautionary measure because of the protest.
Official work was also hampered, a company source said.
AJYCP Tinsukia district secretary Kanchan Bora said, “If our demands are not met, we will launch a massive agitation. The CIL should realise the pain of these security guards who were terminated from their jobs.”
He also sought job reservation in CIL for the people of the area.
“There has been a freeze in recruitment in the North Eastern Coalfields (NEC) since 1994 .They should immediately restart the process. A mining institute should also be set up in the state for the benefit of the students of the Northeast,” Bora demanded.
NEC general manager, Margherita, Jugal Bora, however, did not respond to the queries about the development and said he was not aware of the protesters’ demands. He said he was out of station.
Margherita additional deputy commissioner Rakesh Chetri rushed to the spot and assured the protesters that a meeting will be scheduled on Friday at CIL guest house to solve the problem.
“We had submitted a memorandum recently to the NEC office but they are not taking the matter seriously. The political leaders make big poll promises but do nothing to the people,” Bora alleged.
The NEC is a unit of the CIL, which has the biggest plant here and has its headquarters in Margherita.
