DIBRUGARH, Jan 3 � About 7,500 workers engaged in various construction works at the site of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata here staged a work boycott yet again today following misunderstanding with the authorities over work time schedule and issues relating to entry and exit of the workers from the project site.
The workers protested against the BCPL�s move to keep gates closed till 5:30 PM, preventing them from exiting the site once their work concludes for the day. BCPL authorities had recently adopted measures to maintain proper work schedule like keeping the gates closed during the working hours from 8 AM to 5:30 PM as workers were alleged to be irregular and not punctual in reporting for work. However, this step of the BCPL authorities did not go well with majority of the workers as working hours were not the same for all labourers. Workers engaged especially in civil works complete their day�s work in 4 to 5 hours and so they cannot be locked inside the huge boundaries of the BCPL site, they said.
The workers had staged demonstration at the main gate of the BCPL site this morning. The CISF personnel at the gate were jostled and one of the jawan�s shield was broken while controlling the mob. The matter was later resolved with the intervention of the BCPL authorities and district administration. A few of the workers were roughed up by the CISF personnel.
Meanwhile, there are allegations that a huge amount of scrap (iron bars, joists, etc.), are pilfered out of the gas cracker project site on a daily basis, in collusion with a section of the CISF personnel. These are smuggled to a junkyard on the Medla Road, and any investigation by the authorities would reveal a huge quantity of stolen scrap, provided the BCPL authority wants to check acts of scrap theft.
Prabhu Nath Prasad, the Managing Director of the gas cracker plant while addressing media persons later in the afternoon said that the commotion at the gate was due to confusion on work time schedule. Terming the situation as unfortunate, Prasad said that such confusion do take place especially when workforce is big. �We have discussed the issue with the contractors and the sub-contractors and the matter is resolved. The workers will resume their duties from tomorrow,� he told reporters at the BCPL Township conference hall.
The Managing Director further informed the mediapersons that work progress achieved till December 15, 2011 was 59.1% as against 58.2%. �We are ahead of schedule and we hope to complete all mechanical works by July 2013,� he said.
