Kalimpong,Decemeber 30^th

About 100 locals from Kalijhoda under NH 10 today stage a Dharna at NHPC TLDP-4 demanding employment. The Local under the banner of Kalijhoda Berojgari varg today first sat in a meeting at Kalijhoda play ground and after that took out a procession from ground to administrative building of TLDP -4. Rupesh Pradhan one of the leader leading the procession told NHPC is in our place and its our right that we get job. But here NHPC some officials tying with  local contractor is engaging labour from either outside or from the family member of the contractor in the work. He said we have been asking for employment to them but when they did not hear we organized all the labour who are unemployed and are in very poor stage. Seeing the local agitation Sevoke Police Post Oc Amresh Singh with his team was stationed outside the administrative building to see the law and order. The labour demand the GM to come outside but later a 10 delegation of the organization went inside to meet the GM and other officials.

Pradhan said “ The official said us to wait till March where when a new work come  some of the labour may be engaged but we didn’t accept their demand . We are unemployed from so many months which is hampering our daily life. They said that they will tally the labour list till 10^th January but we will now meet them on 2^nd January”

The local said NHPC is hiring labour from outside in the local work which we don’t want.

Meanwhile one of the officials of NHPC TLDP 4 said NHPC directly cannot engaged labour.  When a work comes we tender the project and it’s upon the contractor to engage the labour. He said NHPC gives some labour who are technically sound if demanded by contractor. He added that we can request the contractor to engage the local.

NHPC have said the project is situated in both side of Tista and it engaged worker from local and vicinity area.

Kalijhoda TLDP-4 was commissioned on August 2016 of 160MW capacity. It has about 180 permanent employee and 250 labour engaged by out sourcing.