ROURKELA: Employees of the closed refractory unit, Orind, at Lathikata near here launched an indefinite road blockade on NH-23 from Saturday after the State Government failed to redress their grievances by the promised deadline.Sources said protestors, mostly women and children, squatted on the highway disrupting traffic. The belligerent men armed with traditional weapons and women holding brooms sought an early solution to the crisis gripping the plant.Policemen stood guard even as the families resorted to cooking in the middle of the road in protest. Sundargarh District Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu on Saturday evening rushed to Rourkela and held talks with the agitating leaders.On October 12 the workers of the closed Orind, renamed Saswat International, resorted to highway blockade and 224 protestors on fast were taken into custody. At a high-level meeting on October 19 the Government sought a week’s time to address their two important demands. But with no solution in sight, the protestors decided to resume the highway blockade.They have been demanding payment of their outstanding dues of nearly Rs 24 crore and restoration of production in the plant.The 800-odd workers are protesting the State Government’s apathy in meeting their demands.Lathikata Mazdoor Manch president George Tirkey, the independent MLA of Birmitrapur, who is spearheading the agitation alleged that the Government was not sincere in solving the problems of the workers.Orind had declared lockout on May 21 and stopped production for over a year. Tirkey had earlier threatened to intensify the agitation and paralyse NH-23 which passes through the Orind main gate.
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