Singha: Kinnaur legislator defending contractor

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 19

Senior CPM leader and senior vice-president of the CITU Rakesh Singha today accused Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Jagat Singh Negi, of siding with the contractor executing the 450-mw Shongtong power project in Kinnaur. He said Negi’s brother ran the stone crusher at the site and this was the reason why the former was supporting the construction firm.

In a letter addressed to Negi, who is also Kinnaur legislator, Singha alleged that it was at the behest of the Deputy Speaker that the huts of workers were razed at Raili and false cases were registered against 95 labourers on July 16. “Do you know that in case of an industrial dispute, the police cannot take sides,” Singha asked Negi. “But you desire that they should stand with the exploiters. Four police officers have been transferred from Kinnaur,” he added. “The workers are homeless with all their savings having been destroyed,” Singha charged.

The company terminated Jeet Negi, president of the workers union, Rajvansh, secretary, Baldev, vice president, while the labour court in May 2016 reinstated them, he said.

“Soam Dev Negi was forced to commit suicide on November 18, 2013. His body was recovered after six months. The cause of the death has not been investigated to date”, Singha charged. Jagat Negi said the CITU was levelling false allegations. Their activists were intimidating workers at the site, he said.