Agitators shut all gates of Bokaro Steel Plant; production impacted

Bokaro: A section of trained apprentices of the Bokaro Steel Plant on Saturday blocked all 11 gates of the factory as part of their continuing agitation, including an indefinite hunger strike, adversely affecting production, an official said.

The agitators belonging to families displaced during the establishment of the Bokaro Steel Limited's (BSL) plant decades ago have been demanding regularisation of their jobs, and the current protest entered its eighth day on Saturday.

Also Read: India's steel industry growing while global output falls: FM Nirmala Sitharaman


BSL spokesperson Manikant Dhan told PTI that agitators had blocked all 11 gates of the steel plant from Saturday morning, making it impossible for workers to enter or exit the factory.

"We had to continue with work in the morning with workers who were inside the plant for the night shift. With all gates closed, no staff could either go inside or come outside. The production and other official work has been severely affected," the official added, without divulging details of production loss.

Also Read: India fastest-growing major steel market; demand to grow 7.9% in 2026: World Steel Association

Arun Kumar Mahato, president of Visthapit Naujawan Sangharsh Morcha, an organisation spearheading the agitation, said they had warned the authorities on Thursday by closing gates that they would close all of them if their demands are not met.

He said that they were on an indefinite hunger strike demanding permanent jobs and a clear recruitment policy by the SAIL unit.

As many as 106 people have been agitating near the BSL plant under the banner of the Morcha, with Congress Bokaro MLA Shweta Singh, BJP Dhanbad MP Dhullu Mahato and JLKM MLA Jairam Mahato lending support to the agitation.

"The protesters want regular appointments for 1,500 trained apprentices from displaced families. They also want the earlier reservation arrangement in Class-IV jobs restored. And they want a clear employment policy spelt out for displaced families," said Arun Mahato.

SAIL, a Central Public Sector Enterprise, has maintained the statutory quota system for Class-IV jobs -- non-executive or trainee level positions. Besides, it has an employment policy for Local Displaced Persons for those posts to hire people from families that surrendered land for setting up the plant.

Arun Mahato alleged that the agitator's families gave up their land for the plant's establishment and claimed that their children are still struggling to find work.

BSL spokesperson said that the company is committed to ensuring that all available apprentices are prioritised for contractual employment within the plant by its contractors.

He said that though the agitators are talking about 1,500 trained apprentices, the figure is 950 as per the company's record.

"Out of the 950 available apprentices, 204 have already been engaged as skilled workers on a contractual basis as of October 3. Besides, more than 50 additional young apprentices are currently in the process of securing contractual employment following the completion of their safety training," Dhan said.

Additionally, for BSL's expansion and all other projects, 10 per cent of the total manpower-hired through outsourcing agencies-has been reserved for those displaced by the project, the spokesperson said.

Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha has appealed to the agitators to postpone their agitation during the festive season.

He also asked the BSL management to hold dialogues with the protesters and end the deadlock.

Conceived in the late 1950s, the Bokaro Steel Plant was established in collaboration with the former Soviet Union. Incorporated as a limited company in 1964, it became a part of SAIL in 1978.