Mild tension prevailed at Bajrang Jute Mill here after the police foiled the attempt by the workers backed by Jute Mill Protection Committee to hold an indefinite protest against the mill management over the signing of an agreement with a construction firm to develop the property in 7.79 acres.

The workers have been demanding that the mill is reopened, claiming that the management had locked down the mill deliberately on the pretext of incurring losses.

More than 1,000 workers led by YSRCP leader Lella Appireddy, who is also the president of Bajrang Jute Mill Workers Union, erected tents for the fast. Earlier, Mr. Appireddy was placed under house arrest at his apartment opposite the mill. Police reached the Pattabhipuram Road and dismantled the tents. Condemning the police action, Mr. Reddy said that it was unfortunate that the police foiled an attempt by the workers to register a protest in a democratic manner. CPI leader Jangala Ajay Kumar was also taken into custody.

The decision of mill management to abruptly enter into a development agreement with a construction firm in 2014 stirred up a row with the project hanging in air for the last four years. The mill management claims that the Jute Mill had been incurring losses which forced them to declare a lockout in June 2015. But, the workers’ union maintains that the management had cheated the workers and sold off the property after the land prices had shot up. Over the years, the mill workers had managed to drum up support from various political parties and drew the attention of State government.

Source: Read Full Article