From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, June 1: The renovation and upgradation work at the Umiam-Umtru Stage III Power Station in Ri-Bhoi district has remained suspended for about a week following allegations that members of a pressure group raided the project site to verify labour licences and allegedly assaulted workers, including non-local labourers and Khasi employees.
This incident has raised serious concerns as it comes just days after a similar violent assault on workers of the Centre Point Group at their upcoming Ri Kynjai resort project in Laitkynsew village near Sohra.
On May 28, around 15 youths allegedly trespassed into the construction site and assaulted several workers, leaving at least five injured, including Raj Kumar Sharma who suffered grievous head injuries and had to be hospitalised.
Expressing serious concern over the repeated incidents, the authorities of Nongdiengngan and Nongmahir villages said the situation at Umiam has escalated to a point where the company executing the project was compelled to suspend work after several non-local workers fled the site, fearing for their safety.
The suspension of work has adversely affected local youth and labourers who have been employed at the site for more than a year. Their wages have reportedly been withheld, while senior company officials have left the area.
Nongdiengngan village headman Dip Pathaw and Nongmahir village secretary J. Thangkhiew on Monday said they were not opposed to verification of labour licences of non-local workers. However, they strongly condemned the violent methods being adopted by pressure groups, citing the recent assault on Centre Point workers in Sohra as a disturbing example.
“Such aggressive actions not only harm workers but are also damaging the investment climate in the state,” the village leaders stated. They stressed that verification drives should be carried out through proper legal procedures and in coordination with local authorities and police.
The village leaders lamented that the manner in which these document verification operations are being conducted is resulting in the suspension of important projects that were expected to benefit local communities and provide sustained employment.
They also pointed out that the ongoing suspension at Umiam has led to a significant decline in water levels, adversely affecting tourism in the area.
The village authorities, along with the affected workers, have appealed to the state government and the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to intervene urgently and ensure the safety of workers so that the project can resume at the earliest.
