Kerala - Kollam   

Gauge conversion work comes to a halt; contract workers chased away

Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

No takers: Gauge conversion work on the Kollam-Punalur section has come to a standstill after contract workers were chased away by local people demanding jobs in the project. —

KOLLAM: Workers from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh who were employed on contract basis for the Kollam-Punalur railway section gauge conversion work left for their native places on Wednesday following an attack on their camp at Avaneeshwaram, near here, late on Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s attack was one among a series such attacks on the workers by local people demanding jobs in the gauge conversion project. Through their contractor, the workers informed the railway authorities at Madurai and Chennai that they would not resume work unless adequate police protection was given to them both at the work site and at the camp. The Kollam-Punalur section comes under the Madurai Division of the Railways. The labourers comprised mainly men from Tamil Nadu and the supervisors from Andhra Pradesh. Both sections were camping at Avaneeshwaram. The team was engaged in welding the joints of the newly laid rail tracks at the Kilikollur course of the section.

The development has led to uncertainty in the completion of the gauge conversion work. Railway authorities said the ontract for the work had been given to a Hyderabad-based firm. The labourers the firm had brought were skilled workmen.

Since Monday, the gauge conversion work had come to a standstill after the local people attacked the workmen while they were engaged in welding work at Kilikollur. Three labourers were beaten up and the entire workforce was chased away from the site. The gang of local people had the backing of some trade unions, Railway authorities said.

The Railway authorities have lodged a complaint with the police. They have also sought the intervention of District Collector A. Shajahan and Kollam Superintendent of Police M.R. Ajith Kumar for settling the issue. The Collector has called a meeting on July 11 to settle the dispute. Adoor MP Chengara Surendran, representatives of the people in the local bodies, police authorities, trade union leaders and officers of the Revenue and Labour departments will attend the meeting.

A couple of months ago, the gauge conversion work was held up at the Avaneeshwaram course when local people forced the contract workers to stop work. Work could be resumed there only with police protection.

The Railway authorities say that laying of tracks is a job that can be done only by a work team skilled in it.

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