By Our Correspondent
JAJPUR/BHUBANESWAR: Rita Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of Mesco Steel, having steel facility in Odisha, was reportedly not allowed to come out of the company guest. They allege that they have not got salaries, bonus for 11 months
Police escorted Singh to Bhubaneswar on Wednesday night after the agitating workers of Maithan Ispat Ltd at Kalinganagar in Odisha’s Jajjpur district tried to detain her again.
Rita Singh run Mesco Steel had bought the ailing Maithan Ispat– the 0.2 million tonne steel plant at Kalinga Nagar—in 2015, but the plant has been shut since March this year due to a shortage of iron ore.
Earlier in the day, police and the district administration had rescued her from a hotel after being detained for 24 hours.Police later detained the workers at Kalinganagar police station.
Protesting against the police action, BJD MLA of Sukinda Priti Ranjan Ghadai, who had joined the workers at the dharna in the morning, said that the talks between the workers and the Mesco Steel CMD failed. “She did not promise to fulfil their demands to provide them with 10-month arrear salary and two-year bonus. Since the demands of the workers are legitimate, the agitation will continue,” he added.
Odisha’s Kalinga Nagar industrial complex houses Tatas, Jindals, VISA steel and Mesco group and has been declared a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone. However, the lack of raw materials have led to the closure of a number of steel companies in the complex this year, says state’ steel body.
Kalinga Nagar industrial complex–the largest in Odisha– is about 100 km from Bhubaneswar and houses Tatas, Jindals, VISA steel and Mesco group. Centre declared it as a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone in June this year amidst hope that it could produce 100 million tonnes of steel per annum, one-third of the country’s total target of 300 MTPA of Steel.However, the lack of raw materials have led to the closure of a number of steel companies in the complex this year.
