Illegal Arrests in Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh):

21092013

Under The Scanner of CBI for Irregularities, Reliance in Connivance with the Local Administration Resorts To Human Rights Abuses

Singrauli: September 20, 2013: Srijan Lokhit Samiti condemns the arrest of the local leader Sati Prasad Razak from Siddhi Khurdha village who heads Sasan Ultra Mega Power Vistaphit Avam Mazdoor Sangh (Union Sasan Ultra Mega Power Affected and Labourers) who was arrested on September 18 night by police for planning a mass protest and demonstration against Reliance power plant, which was scheduled for 20th of September 2013. Late night at almost 10 p.m. police forcibly dragged him out of his house and arrested him without any warrant.

Sati Prasad was working at the Sasan Umpp as a contract labour along with many from the village, who also happened to be the project affected community. Recently, all local labour has been removed from their daily wage labour work at the Sasan UMPP and labour from other states has been brought for the same work. Sati Prasad along with other project affected people had been demanding for permanent jobs at the Project but instead of providing them with permanent jobs, they had been snatched of their daily wage contractual jobs as well. Sati Pasad who belongs to village Siddhi Khurdh along with other two affected people from the village Siddhi Khala, had been raising voice against this and had been planning a protest.

“This is an attempt to suppress the voices of the local communities. Reliance cannot use suppression as a tactic for long. They have to address the pertinent issues raised by the people, about jobs, compensation and health impacts. It’s a shame that the local administration is hand in glove with the company”, Awadhesh Kumar, President of Srijan Lokhit Samiti said.

In the past also, Sati Prasad has repeatedly raised the voice against the high handedness of plant officials and had submitted a letter to District Magistrate on 12/09/2013 stating that a mass protest against the management of Sasan UMPP will be carried out on 19/09/2013, if their demands will not be fulfilled. Their primary demands include:

All the project affected people should be given identity cards for which the Reliance Company had completed the work of taking photographs and details back in 2010.
Secondly, that all affected people who had been working at contractual posts should be provided permanent jobs and that even if the contractual job is over, the onus of providing jobs to affected people should be on the company.
Thirdly, the boundary wall of the Sasan project is being built around the road built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and till the people are not adequately compensated for the road, the boundary wall should not be constructed.
Lastly, the affected people who were working as contractual labour have been paid less wages and also their services have been terminated in 2010, their entire amount due should be paid to them.

On 19th of September, in the morning police, led by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Shri. Nandlal Samrath), barricaded the main plant gate of Sasan UMPP, as an agitated group of villagers marched towards the main gate. He urged the villagers to return back as they could be arrested under section 144 of Indian Penal Code. Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code states, “Whoever, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.” None of the villagers possessed any weapon and even if Section 141 of the Indian Penal Code, was imposed no such prior announcement was made. On 19th two other people who had been vocal against the atrocities of the company and were a part of the union and instrumental in getting people together for the protest march.

Sati Prasad along with the other two people arrested are in Waidhan police thana and have not been released and the police is refusing to give any information. When some of the people went to inquire at the Waidhan police station where they have been held the only information given was that they will be released only on bail. The police is still refusing to inform about the charges under which they have been held.

Srijan Lokhit Samiti condemns this highhandedness of the administration and the nexus of the company and the administration. The Samiti demands the immediate release of the arrested and demands that the administration should assist the local community in realizing their rightful demands.

Contact: Awadheshbhai: +91-9425013524
Email: awadhesh.sls@gmail.com

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