Orissa to verify legality of Powmex steel unit lock-out

BHUBANESHWAR: A day after a private steel unit declared lock-out of the factory following the burning of its senior manager, Orissa government today said it would verify the action taken by the authorities.

"We are verifying whether declaring lock-out is legal or not. And how far such action is required," Orissa's labour and employment minister Pushpendra Singhdeo said.

Condemning the killing of deputy general manager of Powmex Steel, the minister said the labour department will examine if closing the factory was justified.

There are a total of 360 workers in the plant of whom 114 are contractual labourers. The workers were on dharna in front of the plant for the last few days in support of fulfillment of their demands, which included pay hike and regularisation of the contractual workers.

Meanwhile, the police arrested nine persons in connection with the burning alive of R S Roy, Deputy general manager (Operations) of the plant.

"The arrested persons include Roy's driver, who left the place before the agitating employees set fire on his vehicle on Thursday," Titlagarh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Gananath Jogi said.