Polavaram workers stage dharna at Transstroy office

Eluru: The construction workers of Polavaram Project besieged the contracting agency Transstroy’s office at the Project site on Thursday, demanding payment of four-month salary arrears immediately.

About 200 workers reached the Transstroy office on the hilltop of the Project this evening. They staged dharna for some time and later they besieged the office. The workers who came from Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar said that the Transstroy company did not pay their arrears over the last four months. 

“They did not pay the salaries to the workers who were engaged  in the concrete works, rod-bending and blasting works. Now the Government has given the contract to another company Navayuga Constructions. If the Navayuga Company starts its works, what about our salaries”, they questioned.

Meanwhile, knowing the agitation of the workers, Polavaram DSP ATS Ravi Kumar, CI Ramesh Babu, SI Srihari Rao and other police personnel reached the Project site office of Transstroy.

They did not hold discussions with the workers; but met the Transstroy officials. The Vice-President of the Transstroy K Tirumaleswara Rao came out of the office and told the workers that the company is not in a position to pay the arrears of salary as the Government has to pay their Bill for the works done.

“We are not in a position to pay the salaries. If the Government pay the bills, we will clear your pending salaries”, he told the workers. However, the workers did not give up their agitation.

The workers said that they are starving due to lack of money and living by eating samosas and other snacks for the last one week. Most of the workers returned to their native places as their hopes were gone with the attitude of the contracting agency.

The agency has cut the power supply to the sheds where we are living,” the workers told the media who visited the site.  Around 6.30 p.m, the workers withdrew their agitation.

Meanwhile, the Navayuga Constructions, which was awarded the contract of Polavaram Project spillway works replacing the present contracting agency Transstroy, is ready to execute the works. It is learnt that the Navayuga Constructions would take up the works in one or two days. Probably it may start the work on Friday, sources said.