The Hindu : Other States News : OMFED contract staff call off strike

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OMFED contract staff call off strike

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: Supply of milk to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri would be resumed from Sunday as the three-day-long strike launched by contractual employees of the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED) was called off here on Saturday.

OMFED’s milk processing plant at Chandrasekharpur started functioning immediately after the end of strike.

“We are trying to restore normal milk supply from Sunday afternoon. However, there would be regulated supply of milk in the morning,” Basant Kumar Mishra, OMFED Deputy General Manager (Marketing), said.

The strike by over 200 employees took a violent turn in the morning when hundreds of farmers, who had been suffering losses due to halt in milk processing for the last two days, went to the plant site.

It immediately triggered a faceoff. Soon a pitched battle ensued. Pelting of stones started between employees and farmers. Hundreds of vehicles got stranded on the busy Nandankanan Road as both sides did not relent. Some of the agitators entered the processing plant and tried to damage critical machineries.

By the time police reinforcements were sent, half a dozen of people from each side were injured and a few of them were taken to the Capital Hospital.

Sorojini Jena, who came from Jagatsinghpur district, said, “I usually send 10 litres of milk a day to the OMFED plant. I have lost 30 litres of milk during last three days due to the strike.”

Chairman-cum-Managing Director of OMFED Hrushikesh Panda reached the spot and prevailed upon the employees to call off the strike. Mr. Panda said that the demand of employees for regularisation of jobs would be considered at higher level.

Compensation

“We will give four days of compensation to farmers who suffered losses due to the strike.

Collection of milk from farmers will be resumed from the evening,” the OMFED CMD said.

The announcement, however, did not entirely convince the striking employees. All depended upon the outcome of Monday’s meeting with authorities, Sameer Mohanty, who was leading the agitation, said.

He also alleged that authorities had mobilised goons in the guise of farmers to attack the striking employees.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Himanshu Lal, however, said no arrests had been made in this connection.

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