Report by Amarnath Parida; Paradip: Seven labourers were injured on Monday as CISF jawans opened fire when large-scale violence by the contract labourers of Oil refinery project of IOCL in Paradip. Besides this, other 15 persons including four CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) officials have also injured by the attack of the labourers on this violence.

Sources said that labourers of three unions Eastern India Oil Refinery Labour Union, Oil Refinery Land Losers Association and AITUC have been pressed into service for loading and unloading of construction materials at gate no 4 of oil refinery project. On today, the labourers unloaded construction materials of one contract agency and demanded extortion from truck drivers after receiving their daily unloading charges.

These truck drivers refused to give daily extortion to these laboures in which tension prevailed at this gate. During this time CISF jawans protested the illegal collection of extortion from truck drivers and forcibly entry to plant site without gate pass.

Later, hundreds of labourers went on rampage, ransacking CISF out post and dozens of vehicles. They also attacked and pelted stones to CISF personnel. Irate labourers clashed with the CISF personnel and also destroyed a rifle of one jawan after snatching it from him.

Firstly, CISF personnel resorted to lathi charge to disperse the irate labourers. As baton charge failed to disperse the angry labourers, CISF jawans opened fire, injuring five labourers. The injured labourers Tusar Rout, Ramesh Rout, Kailash Das, Prafulla Majhi and Kabir Nath have shifted to SCB medical college and hospital, Cuttack for treatment in critical condition.

Besides this, other fifteen persons including four CISF personnel assistant commandant Sasank Sekhar Mohanty, CISF inspector T.K.Singha, jawans  Mr Abdesh, Mr. Risikesh Das and another one jawan have been injured by labourers while other 11 labourers Subash Moharana, Manoj Nayak, Purnachandra Das, Prasant Das and others have also injured by baton attack of CISF.

Union leaders have alleged that this trouble began while CISF jawans collected extortion from truck driver during loading and unloading. ASST commandant Mr. Mohanty refuted this charge regarding collection of extortion by CISF jawans. He also informed that CISF jawans opened five rounds of firing to disperse irate labourers.In-charge SP Mr Vijaya Sahu has expressed ‘five persons have injured in firing while rests have injured during clash between CISF and labourers. Four platoon police forces have deployed to avert the tense in refinery project site’ -he added.

Chief Manager, IOCL Mr Prasant Kumar Rout has expressed ‘trouble began while labourers collected extortion from drivers during unloading of materials near gate no 4. Today’s clash has not affected the construction work of oil refinery project’. -He added

President of Maa Baidhee Sharmik Sangh Mr. Jayant Biswal has strongly condemned on the activities of CISF personnel to open firing on innocent labourers so he has demanded for RDC level probe about the incidence.

Meanwhile, CISF inspector Mr. Singha has lodged an FIR against labourers at Abhyachandpur police station while one Jitendra Rout has also lodged in FIR in same police station for injuring his two brothers and others on today’s firing. Police have registered two cases in this connection.

On the other hand, all union leaders have united and threatened to resort ‘bandh call’ and agitation on tomorrow in IOCL area protesting on today’s firing incidence.