Coronavirus Lockdown: Migrant workers staged protest for wages at IIT Hyderabad

Prasad Nichenametla, DHNS, Hyderabad,

Apr 29 2020, 20:38 ist
updated: Apr 29 2020, 21:27 ist

Police officials appeal to protesting migrant workers to maintain calm at IIT Hyderabad, Kandi, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Peeved over denial of wages, hundreds of migrant workers working at IIT Hyderabad in neighbouring Sangareddy district today allegedly attacked some officials of construction companies and threw stones damaging a police vehicle and injuring a Sub-Inspector and two policemen. (PTI Photo)

Migrant workers engaged in construction activities at the Indian Institute of Hyderabad went on a rampage on Wednesday demanding their pending salaries and permission to travel to their home states.

About 2,400 workers from various states like Odisha, Bihar are engaged by two reputed infrastructure firms in the Phase-II building works at IIT Hyderabad, located near Kandi village, about 60 KMs from Hyderabad, in Sanga Reddy district.

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According to the district police officials, the agitated workers came out of their sheds, set up behind the IIT-H, in hundreds by Wednesday noon. Some were wielding sticks and raising slogans, and the workers pelted stones at a police jeep injuring three policemen initially sent there.

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Some executives of the construction firm were also reportedly attacked by the furious workers earlier, alleging non-payment of their March salaries. Additional police forces were rushed to the site and the situation was brought under control.

A few representatives of the workers were later taken to meet the district authorities, who convened a meeting between them and the construction firm executives.

The firms have reportedly agreed to pay the workers’ wages without delay. A decision on when to resume the construction work, which was halted due to the lockdown, would be announced thereafter.