ccusing a mining company in Marriguda mandal in the district of denying them salary amounting to Rs. 22.5 lakh, as many as 132 migrant workers from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Bihar, Odisha and other parts of the country lodged a complaint with the local police on Tuesday.
The agitated workers have accused Sridevi Mines of denying them their four months salary following which the management allegedly asked all of them to vacate the premises.
The workers approached Superintendent of Police, Vikram Jeet Duggal on Tuesday and urged him to initiate action against the management. They informed him that one worker, Palaniswamy Yettaiah (45), a native of Puducherry, died of heart attack on September 13 at the mining site worried about the non-payment of salary.
Speaking to The Hindu , head of a team of workers from Tamil Nadu, Sivannyanam, under whom the deceased labourer used to work, said they have lodged a complaint with the police following the death of Yettaiah. However, Mr. Sivannyanam said that they were paid only Rs. 1.5 lakh out of Rs. 24 lakh pending wages on September 28 and were asked to vacate the site. When they refused to do so, Mr. Sivannyanam said they were forcibly evicted.
They approached the SP in Nalgonda on Tuesday seeking justice. Responding quickly, Mr. Duggal instructed the Devarakonda DSP, Chandramohan, to inquire into the matter. He promised that he would certainly initiate action against the management if it was found guilty.
Another worker, B. Ramesh, said that they have been working for the past four months at the mining site during which time the management exported Rs. 5-crore worth granite from the mine, but the workers were denied their salary.
Activists of National Adivasi Solidarity Council P. Vasudeva Rao, M. Srinivas and Subhash said that the management violated the Bonded Labour Abolition Act and Interstate Migrant Workers’ Act. They have also asked the police to initiate action against the management under SC&ST Atrocity Act since most of the workers were Dalits and Adviasis apart from paying Rs. 15 lakh ex gratia to Mr. Yettaiah.
We were paid only Rs. 1.5 lakh out of Rs. 24 lakh pending wages and were asked to vacate the site
Sivannyanam
Worker leader from TN
