Speakers at the 24-hour agitation of farmers launched under the banner of the BJP at Ambedkar Chowrasta in Bodhan on Saturday warned the Government that they would intensify their agitation if the Nizam Sugar Factory (NSF) was not reopened immediately.
Speaking at the dharna, former MLA and BJP national executive member Yendala Laxminarayana charged Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with having an ‘ulterior motive’ in going back on his electoral promise of the government taking over the NSF within 100 days of TRS coming to power.
“This day in 2015 the factory management announced a lay-off. As per the Factories Act any lay off should not continue more than six months. The Chief Minister has been dodging the issue for reasons better known to him. However, rumours have it that KCR family wants to own the factory and therefore he is not taking any decision,” the BJP leader said.
Mr. Laxminarayana said that with the factory remaining closed for the last two years as many as 240 families of workers and employees have lost their livelihood. There were a number of instances of suicide among the families of the former workers and employees as they were unable to make both ends meet.
The factory does not need large investment for its revival, he said and asked why the NSF could not operate when Gayatri, Ganapathi and Magi sugar mills, under private management, were running successfully.
Cane farmers in the villages under the jurisdiction of the factory were very eager to grow sugarcane if the mill was reopened. Factory workers had no salaries for the last two years, he pointed out and urged the Chief Minister to take the initiative for the revival of the factory and survival of workers.
