TURA, May 27: Chaos returned to the GHADC on Thursday after hordes of angry protesting employees blocked vehicles with officials leaving the council premises after work causing a stand off in which one protestor sustained bruises while attempting to prevent a car from taking off resulting in stone pelting and damage.
Despite a large police presence that failed to contain the situation, things got out of hand shortly after 3 in the afternoon when the officers and staff led by the CEM were leaving their work place.
The angry protesters did not spare the CEM’s vehicle either, blocking the road for sometime before giving way for him.
“They are neither wanting to join duty nor allowing the office to function, but, yet wanting their dues to be cleared. Without resuming office how can anything be done,?” Questioned CEM Benedic R Marak.
With yesterday being trouble free as officers attended work to get pay bills cleared for five months salary, the agitating staff are refusing to accept it and accuse the authorities of forcibly trying to give them the old scale of pay.
On Thursday, the protesters were apparently on the lookout for the rebel workers who joined duty in violation of their general agreement and also wanted to check vehicles of officials on suspicion that official files were being taken out clandestinely.
It was during the ongoing blockade and attempts at inspection of vehicles leaving the council premises that the situation turned volatile.
A group of protesting employees surrounded the vehicle of the accounts officer whom they accused of lifting files.
With some in the crowd using threats asking him to step out, while others tried to force him out, the official drove through the barricade causing two women protesters to fall by the wayside.
This infuriated the mob which gave chase and pelted stones causing some damage to the vehicle.
They later accused the official of attempted manslaughter and filed an FIR at the Tura police station.
A separate FIR has also been filed against the protesters for the mayhem caused.