Agitators Withdraw Stir At IMFA Plant

Rayagada: The 18-day strike in front of IMFA’s factory at Therubali in Rayagada district was called off on Friday following a tripartite meeting between the district administration, company officials and the agitators the previous night.

The meeting convened by Rayagada Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar started at 8 pm and continued for nearly four hours. During the meeting attended by IMFA officials and a group of 25 agitators, as many as 14 demands were discussed. The IMFA authorities reportedly accepted most of the demands, following which the agitators agreed to withdraw their strike.

The protestors, including tribals of seven panchayats, had been staging dharna in front of the main gate of the plant since April 23 seeking fulfilment of their nine-point charter of demands, including basic amenities, overall development of the region, regularisation of jobs of contractual employees and jobs and training to unemployed youths of the locality.

The protestors had also ransacked machinery, CCTV cameras and lights installed near the factory gate seeking immediate fulfilment of their demands.