Bokaro: A gathering of around 65 to 70 local villagers, identifying themselves as rayyats, staged demonstration near the Vedanta ESL Steel Limited premises, disrupting travel to the plant near Alkusa More in Chas-Chandankyari route of Bokaro.
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Their primary grievance revolves around the purported lack of job opportunities despite giving their lands to the company. This demonstration resulted in a halt lasting over two and a half hours, obstructing around 300 employees from accessing the plant via buses, cars, or motorcycles. Additionally, trucks en route to or returning from the plant faced similar obstruction, exacerbating the situation.
Sources said, these protests are becoming recurrent, with villagers resorting to strong-arm tactics and blockades to compel ESL Management to address their demands for employment in the company. They cite a tri-partite agreement involving the acquisition of their land by the erstwhile Electrosteel Limited as grounds for compensation through job placement.
While ESL Steel Limited, a subsidiary of the Vedanta Group, is not legally bound to adhere to previous agreements inherited from Electrosteel Limited, it endeavors to address legacy issues. The company has provided employment to landowners whose land was acquired, totaling 117 jobs out of 779 created in the fiscal year 2023-24. Moreover, ESL Steel has extended employment opportunities to 317 local residents post-agreement, said ESL sources.
