Jajpur, Dec 23(Odisha.in) Kalinga Nagar police on Saturday arrested 56 activists of the Sukinda Unemployed Technical Youth Association (SUTYA) in Kalinga Nagar, the steel hub of India in Orissa’s Jajpur district .
The SUTYA activists were arrested on charges of locking both entrance and exit gates and preventing men and materials into the Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL) premises, located in the Kalinga Nagar industrial complex demanding jobs to the local trained technical youths, institution of high level inquiry into the irregularities in selection of some ITI Trainees and Diploma Engineer Trainees to be absorbed in the plant and to stop engagement of non-Oriya and outsiders in the plant.
Works inside the plant was paralysed and production hampered following the agitation, which has resulted in huge losses for the second day on Saturday. It may be noted that SUTYA staged a dharana before JSL on Friday and squatted at a gate of the company. They also locked the entrance and material gates of the plant for over six hours and prevented man and material into the industry yesterday.
“Some local youths under the banner of self-styled SUTYA are locking all gates of our plant and preventing men and materials into the plant premises since Friday early morning.
They are squatting at the company’s gates and chasing away our plant workers and officers. Our plant has been seriously affected following the agitation for the last two days, which has resulted in huge loss to the organization & impacted the morale of the company people,” said Ashis Das, advisor to the Jindal Stainless Limited.
Many of our units are closed following the agitation and an unhealthy atmosphere is prevailing here. Though power generation of our plant is low for the second day on Saturday due to thin attendance following agitation by the SUTYA, still we are running our blast furnace for its sustenance, Mr. Das added.
“We are demanding priority to the locals in employment and reservation of various technical posts up to 70 per cent in the industries in Kalinga Nagar. This apart, our demand is that any mark securing percentage barrier be applicable for SUTYA people and there be no age limit for the unemployed youth in the Sukinda area. Our agitation will continue until our demand is fulfilled,” said SUTYA president Dharmananda Ray.
He further alleged that the companies at Kalinga Nagar are giving priority to outsiders and non-Oriyas in matter of jobs, depriving the local youth who have the requisite degrees and diplomas in different streams.
Jajpur Superintendent of police, D.S Kute said, “No report of any vandalism by the agitators was reported. We arrested them as an preventative measure and later released them on bails.”
It may be noted that JSL had notified 9 vacancies of Diploma Engineer Trainee and 10 ITI Trainees to the local Employment Exchange and subsequently invited application by way of advertisement through local newspaper. In response to the above, nearly 8000 applications were received. After scrutiny, 796 Diploma candidates were issued letters for written test of Diploma Trainees, out of which 490 candidates appeared. As regards ITI Trainees, 2371 were called for written test, out of which 1742 candidates appeared.
Nearly 2300 ITI and Diploma Engineers had appeared in a written examination held by the company seven months back. But the authorities have called a few for final selection to be held on December 23 to 27 of this month.
The SUTYA alleges that there has been high-scale corruption during the short-listing the candidates and the company has violated all the norms of selection procedures of the aspirants. The organization further alleged that the company people called the aspirants on their choice by whom they have been gained over.
Odisha.in