Tension mounted on Friday morning after workers and local villagers of Banua and nearby villages under Sadar police station area staged a protest in front of the main gate of MSP factory. 

The workers and villagers did not allow the ED of the company to enter the main gate in protest against the arbitrary management of the company. Later, the ED had to go back from the gate.

Sources said that the sponge iron factory, which was established in the year 2000, has turned into a steel factory today with the help of the local people and the efforts of the employees. There is a sponge factory, a rolling mill, and a pellet factory in the steel project. Around 3,500 people are working in the factory out of which about 80 percent are from the local area. However, for the last several months there have been problems in the management of the factory leading to dissatisfaction among the workers and the local people.

In particular, there is dissatisfaction over the alleged negligence of the company in pollution control, development of the surrounding area and social and developmental work in the local area with the participation of the people. It is alleged that the company, instead of providing ORS water during the scorching summer heat, gave water mixed with salt and sugar. Like earlier years, no water umbrellas have been opened. The company is also preparing a list to lay off the workers. Even the afforestation done earlier by the company has been destroyed due to improper irrigation. Due to non-payment of electricity bills, the street lights remain switched off.

Sanjay Munda, a local Sarpanch, said, “Development work is not being done as it was before. People are unhappy. So, the people are dissatisfied and have protested.”