NTPC Kudgi plant contract workers left to fend for themselves

More than 250 contract workers of NTPC’s Kudgi thermal power plant on Monday staged a protest at the entrance of the plant demanding the officials of the corporation to make arrangements to send them home.

Hundreds of contract workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha work in the 4GW power plant. The workers alleged that the company has left them to fend for themselves after the coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown.

“All contract workers were relieved off their duties in March after the lockdown was enforced to mitigate the virus spread. Contractors have not paid us for the last two months. We are struggling here without proper shelter and food. Repeated pleas to the NTPC officials to make arrangements to send the contract workers to their respective state have failed to yield the desired results,” the agitating workers complained.

P K Pandey and K P Singh, the contract labourers from Bihar, poured out their woes to DH, “The police officials are demanding Rs 6,000 from each contract worker to make arrangements to send them home. We don’t have money for a square meal. How can arrange such a large
amount?”