The Hindu : Karnataka News : Former worker of cement factory commits suicide

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Friday, Jan 04, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Former worker of cement factory commits suicide

Special Correspondent

Failure to settle PF dues cited as the reason
Workers demand action against management

GULBARGA: Tension prevailed in the Industrial township of Shahabad in Chitapur taluk in Gulbarga district following the former employee of the erstwhile H.M. Potdar Cement Company Takur Patel (65) committing suicide by hanging following the non-settlement of provident fund dues and other retirement benefits after he took voluntary retirement from service in 1997.

Mr. Patel was found hanging from a tree near his house in the factory colony on Wednesday and the protesting factory workers and their relatives did not allow the police to remove the body for postmortem and cremation. The police forcibly removed the body late night on Wednesday and handed it over to the family of the victim.

The situation on Thursday appeared to take a more serious turn with the family members of the victim refusing to cremate the body demanding settlement of the wage dues of the employee and also action against the management for denying the retirement benefits.

The police clamped prohibitory orders and deployed additional police force in the town and factory area.

Superintendent of the Police Manish Kharbhikar held discussions with the protesting employees led by the former Minister C. Gurunath and persuaded the family members to allow the cremation of the body and assured that the district administration would hold discussions with the factory authorities to release the pending provident fund amount to the family of the victim.

The reports said the situation was now under control after the cremation of the body of Mr. Patel.

The HMP Cement Factory, which closed in 1997, was reopened a few months ago by a new Pune-based management as per the directions of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Kolkatta.

The Indian Bank, which had provided loan to the HMP Cement Factory, had moved the DRT for disposal of the assets of the factory for the settlement of dues and even before a decision could be taken on the plea, the workers led by the Shahabad Cement Factory Employees Union filed a petition before the DRT for the settlement of the PF, gratuity and salary dues.

The DRT after prolonged hearing marked with the stays issued by the Kolkatta High Court over the proceedings finally allowed the plea of the workers and handed over the management of the factory to the Pune-based company, which assured the court that it would settle the dues of the workers.

But the new management jas not taken action to settle the dues of Mr. Patel, according to family members of the victim.

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