Vizianagaram: Maithan plant workers dharna turns violent

Vizianagaram: Four police personnel, including two women constables, received injuries after a protest by local workers turned violent at Maithan Ferro Alloys company in Bobbili on Thursday. Workers of Maithan Ferro Alloys have been protesting for the last few months against the company replacing local labour with north Indian workers. According to police, 17 workers entered the colony of migrant labourers on Thursday morning and evicted them. On the complaint of the company management, police arrested the 17 workers who forced out the north Indian workers from their accommodation.

Protesting the arrest, scores of local worker led by Left party leaders staged a dharna at the company and tried to barge into the plant. When police stopped them, they attacked them with stones and sticks. In the scuffles, four police personnel, including two woman constable suffered injuries. Police also arrested around 55 agitators in this connection and investigation is on. Bobbili CI M Nageswararao said, "The Maithan company workers had tried to evict the non-local labourers forcefully on Thursday after which 17 were taken into custody. Angry protestors then attacked police with stones and sticks near the company entrance which led to further detentions." Women constables V Mangamma and Bharathi, head constable Syamala Rao and constable Rambabu were injured in the incident.