TRS MLA condemns caning of NTPC workers, joins protest

RAMAGUNDAM: Protesting against the lathi-charge of CISF police on workers at the entrance of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), TRS MLA from Ramagundam Korukanti Chander squatted in front of the gate sporting black badges on Tuesday. He extended his solidarity with the workers and patiently interacted with them, listening to their grievances.

Condemning the CISF action, he promised to do justice to the workers.

The MLA also said that the issue would be taken into the notice of Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao. "Ramagundam coal belt area workers, who were agitating for their demands in a peaceful manner, were lathi-charged. The workers were agitating for the implementation of agreements entered into in 2018."

Addressing the local police, who tried to broker a solution between the two sides, the MLA said, "I want the police to register a case against the CISF jawans who assaulted the workers." The Joint action committee also demanded that the NTPC management bear the medical expenses of the injured workers.

On Monday, contract workers of NTPC, led by the JAC, organized a meeting at the NTPC workers gate. The workers decided to protest against the management for its indifference with regard to the implementation of dependent jobs. They also demand that promotions to senior workers and ITI technicians, delayed the past two years, be taken up immediately.

In a bid to foil their protest, the CISF personnel lathi-charged the agitating contract workers at the NTPC workers gate. Ten workers sustained serious injuries while 70 others sustained minor injuries in the incident.