Around 12,000 workers are said to have lost their livelihoods in the past few weeks after ferro-alloy companies in the district halted or reduced their operations following a hike in power tariff by the government from ₹5 a unit to ₹8.
Bobbili, Garividi and Kothavalasa of Vizianagaram district have 18 such units. Of these, six have already announced layoff, with many more likely to fully halt operations in a couple of weeks, according to sources. The units are said to be already in a fix owing to rising raw material cost, transport charges and other issues.
CITU State committee member T.V. Ramana asked the government to hold talks with the company managements. “Over 50,000 workers had already lost income sources with the closure of jute and sugar industries. The decision of ferro-alloy companies to halt operations is another blow to workers in the district,” said Mr.Ramana.
Citing the livelihood loss of nearly 12,000 workers in the district, CITU district president P. Sankara Rao and Facor Workers Union general secretary A. Gowru Naidu vowed to strengthen their agitation if the government fails to respond to the issues of ferro-alloy companies.
Representatives of a few opposition parties had petitioned Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana and Collector S. Nagalakshmi, urging them to immediately bring the issue to the notice of the government.
