Singareni workers climb phone tower, demand job regularisation

MANCHERIAL: Two contract workers of Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP)  climbed a cellphone tower  situated  near the power plant on Wednesday at Jaipur in Mancherial district, demanding regularisation of their services. They also demanded the police to release their arrested colleagues. Also, farmers who lost their land for the power plant staged a rasta roko and disrupted traffic for over three hours.

The police had a tough time as the workers threatened to jump from the tower if they try to climb it. After senior police officials told them that they would take the matter to the officials of the power plant, they came down. According to sources, 2,100 acres of land were acquired for the power plant  in the surrounding villages of  Pegadapelli, Gangapelli, Ellakanti in Jaipur mandal.

The Singareni officials had assured the land owners that they would be provided employment opportunities, but though the plant started operating in 2016, they were not provided employment in the plant. The plant was handed over to a German company for maintenance and they  appointed engineers and other staff from other states rather than locals.

The locals were appointed as unskilled labourers on contract basis even though they have engineering diplomas.  They submitted applications to the government and Singerani officials  for jobs, but their was no response. They also opposed the public hearing of the third unit of 800 power plant in the plant. Public hearing must be organised in  villages concerned, but the authorities organise it in the plant under police security, they alleged.

Lorry owner climbs tower

Kothagudem: Demanding membership in lorry association, one lorry owner Srinivasa Rao climbed a cell tower and his family members staged a rasta roko at Chunchupalli near Kothagudem town on Wednesday. Rao said that some lorry owners colluded with Singareni officials and were transporting only coal without giving chance to transport other material.

Collector organises public hearing

Mancherial district collector RV Karnan organised a public hearing with the farmers in the plant for the third unit of 800 MW on Wednesday. About 31 farmers expressed  their views along with social organisation on environment. He said that in the plant, 1,159 workers were there from 26 villages and 538 other members were working in various cadres. He said the government would provide compensation for farmers who lost their land for railway lines and steps would be taken to make available 80 pc employment opportunities to locals.