Workers at a private TMT bar manufacturing unit here on Thursday prevented 18 technicians, who had returned from Rajasthan, from joining duty alleging the plant authority did not maintain proper Covid-19 protocol.

The workers owing allegiance to the Trinamul-backed trade union of the INTTUC stopped the bus carrying the technicians from Rajasthan at the factory gate around 6.30am and forced them to leave.

“We did not allow the technicians to work as we feared the spread of the novel coronavirus. The plant authorities showed us some documents of their health examination but we were not satisfied,” said union leader Sheikh Banti.

He said the factory management would have to continue production with the local manpower until the lockdown was withdrawn.

Another INTTUC leader and local borough chairman Chandrasekhar Banerjee said he had intimated the matter to the local administration and accused the factory authorities of violating the rules of the state government.

“Our chief minister has made health examination and quarantine mandatory for those coming from other states,” said Banerjee.

Sources said the 18 technicians had returned to their native places in Rajasthan before the lockdown was announced in March. They were brought back to work after the government allowed inter-state shifting and movement of people.

However, the plant authorities refuted the charges and claimed all the technicians had undergone proper health screening in Rajasthan before they had left for Bengal.

“The technicians had undergone proper tests in Rajasthan and on the border before entering Bengal. We also conducted their thermal screening at the plant gate and maintained all Covid protocols. We have also informed the West Burdwan district administration and police before taking them to the factory,” said Kaushik Gupta, senior additional general manager (HR) of SRMB Srijan Pvt Ltd.

He said the technicians were critical to run the plant and maintain proper quality.

“Our production is getting affected in the absence of the technicians. We will again conduct their medical examination on Friday and keep them in quarantine inside the plant,” he said.

However, the subdivisional officer of Durgapur Anirban Koley, said he had no information about the arrival of the technicians from Rajasthan.

“We had no such information. Institutional quarantine is compulsory for the people coming from five selected states but Rajasthan is not on the list. However, we will inquire into the matter,” he said.

The sources said a section of trade union leaders was putting pressure on the factory management to engage local people in work taking advantage of the lockdown and Thursday’s incident was a fallout of that.