Public discontent is growing against Odisha Metalics, demand letter to the District Collector regarding recruitment and illegal water extraction, agitation warning

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Public discontent is growing against Odisha Metalics, demand letter to the District Collector regarding recruitment and illegal water extraction, agitation warning                Jharsuguda, 8/5, Jharsuguda district is witnessing a dispute over the Odisha Metalics factory located in Marakuta. Locals and workers on Friday submitted a demand letter to the district administration demanding re-employment of old employees and illegal water extraction from the Vedene river. If the demands are not met, they have mentioned in the demand letter that they will be held in front of the factory for an indefinite period from May 13. According to the complaint of the old employees of the Odisha Metallic Company, the factory, which was closed in 2016, was made operational again in 2021. But the company does not re-employ old workers who have worked for many years. Therefore, the company Old employees should be directly employed in the company as per the company's payroll rules. Priority should be given to local youth in the field of employment. The pending salaries of employees who want to retire should be paid immediately. The union has also submitted a demand letter to the District Collector, SP and Labour Commissioner of the district. Meanwhile, the councilor of Brajrajnagar Municipality and the villagers of Remja and Ujjwalapur on Friday complained to the District Collector and submitted a demand letter against the company for illegally drawing water from the Ib river. Due to the laying of pipelines without government permission, water is being taken for industrial use, resulting in water shortage in more than 50 villages along the river. People are facing problems of not having drinking water and bathing during the summer season. The drying up of the river has created a crisis for domestic animals and birds. The government is also ORISSA METALIKS PRIVATE LIMITED facing loss of revenue. Similarly, the residents of Marakuta Gram Panchayat have also submitted a demand letter to the District Collector on Friday, alleging that the local grazing land is being encroached upon by the Odisha Metallic Company. Despite repeated representations to the administration, no satisfactory steps have been taken, which has led to intense dissatisfaction among the people. If the problem is not resolved within the stipulated time, hundreds of workers, former employees of the company, and thousands of people from the local area have expressed their desire to peacefully protest on May 13th. Today, at the time of submitting these separate demand forms, Barik, Dauda Nayak, Ashish Badapanda, Ravi Bhoi, and other representatives of the Odisha Metallic Former Employees' Association, alon with all the councilors of Brajrajnagar Municipality Council, who complained about the company's illegal water extraction, and hundreds of villagers, including Marakuta Sarpanch Lily Tanti, Naib Sarpanch Ashish Gardia, and committee member Sujata Meher were present at the time of submitting the complaint form against illegal forest land acquisition and illegal activities by the company. (Photos of the councilors of Brajrajnagar Municipality Council submitting the demand forms have been sent.)