Paradip: The displaced and land losers' families have flayed the retrenchment of workers and renewed their opposition to the Essar steel project to come up near the town by staging sit-in off the project site.

The production of the six-million-tonne per annum capacity plant was affected as the protesters stopped the workers from entering the plant site. "As many as 195 workers, who had been rehabilitated at the project, were sacked. The company had acquired the land of the retrenched workers for establishing the project. The retrenchment is out and out and illegal, and it flagrantly defies the state government's rehabilitation and resettlement policy. So, the peaceful strike will continue till the company reemploys them," said Amrut Das, a protester.

Prohibitory orders under the CrPC Section 144 has been clamped at the plant site, declaring the assembly of agitating people as unlawful.

"Police have been deployed at the steel project site to avert breach of peace. The cops are keeping tabs on the situation. The agitation has so far been peaceful and no untoward incidents have occurred," said additional superintendent of police Bishnu Charan Mishra.

"The administration has directed the Essar plant management to turn up on November 24 and settle the issue with regard to the retrenched workers. We are optimistic that the issues and points of differences would be sorted out. So, the affected people should be patient for few more days," said Paradip additional district magistrate Biswajit Biswal.

"Local people were assured of employment in the project. As many as 240 members of families that had lost land to the project were given appointment. Later, the company sacked 195 of them in a phased manner. Only 45 project affected people are covered under job cover in the company," said Das, who is leading the agitation.

The company officials were not available for comment.