Vedanta workers protest over layoffs
Workers demand jobs and pending dues
Sakti | Correspondent: Around 70 contract workers staged a sit-in protest outside Gate No. 1 of the Vedanta Power Plant in Singhitarai village of Chhattisgarh's Sakti district on Monday, alleging that they were removed from service after the April 14 boiler blast that claimed 24 lives.
The workers, employed through contractor NGSL, said plant operations have remained largely affected since the accident and that more than 200 employees were verbally asked not to report for work. They claimed the sudden loss of employment has pushed many families into financial distress.
The protesters demanded reinstatement or absorption through another agency. They also sought payment of pending salaries for May and June, three months' compensation, provident fund and ESIC dues, bonuses, no-objection certificates and work experience certificates.
According to workers, nearly 400 contract employees were engaged at the plant, and more than half have allegedly lost their jobs since the accident.
Vedanta Power Plant PRO Deepak Vishwakarma said the affected workers were employees of contractor NGSL. He said the management has directed senior NGSL officials to address the workers' concerns at the earliest.
The contractor assured workers that all pending dues would be cleared promptly, following which the protest was withdrawn.
The protest comes nearly two months after a major boiler explosion at the plant on April 14. The blast, caused by the rupture of a high-pressure boiler tube in Unit-I, left 24 workers dead and several others injured.
Police registered an FIR after preliminary investigations and forensic findings indicated excessive fuel accumulation inside the boiler furnace, leading to abnormal pressure build-up. Investigators also found that recurring technical issues reported over the previous year had allegedly not been addressed.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, with the Bilaspur commissioner tasked with submitting a report. Vedanta announced compensation of ₹35 lakh and employment support for the families of those killed, while injured workers were promised ₹15 lakh each.
