Kribhco standoff continues

SURAT, Sept 22: The standoff between the management and employees of the Hazira-based Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited Kribhco cont...

SURAT, Sept 22: The standoff between the management and employees of the Hazira-based Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited Kribhco continued for the second day on Tuesday with employees preventing senior officials from entering the plant before their demands for adequate compensation of loss due to the floods were met.

However, police presence at the spot prevented any untoward incident.

Sources say the possibility of the plant re-starting production at full capacity soon is remote, with the strike on one hand and damage caused to the plant equipment by floods on the other.

However, leaders of the Kribhco Karmachari Sangh and the Kribhco Officers8217; Union are in constant touch with top-level officials of the fertiliser giant in New Delhi. A board meeting of the company is slated to be held late at night.

Though losses of around 700 of the 1100 employees are estimated at between Rs 20,000 and 50,000, officials state that some were demanding as much as Rs 1 lakh each for the losses.

Kribhco Hazira director K Das, speaking to Express Newsline feared attacks both on himself as well as top officials of the company. 8220;Although we do have police protection, it is not advisable for any officials to go to the plant right now. The director has been under pressure to restart and clean the plant as both the heavy water and ammonia plants have to be kept in a well maintained state. This, however, has not been made possible with the employees squatting at the entrance to the township, preventing officials from moving out.

Additional commissioner P C Thakur, who made rounds of the township today, said that he, along with officials, had attempted to convince the striking employees that the continuation of their strike would put the plant at greater risk. 8220;The ammonia plant is sensitive and will definitely pose a risk to the city if there is a leak,8221; said the official.

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Meanwhile, with the recovery of five more bodies 8212; four from near Hazira and one from near the Circuit House 8212; the toll in last week8217;s flood rose to 24 on Tuesday while the district administration and Surat Municipal Corporation geared itself for yet another heavy discharge of water from the Ukai dam into the Tapi river.

According to officials at the Central Water Commission, the latest discharge is no cause for concern as the catchment areas of the river received only light rainfall since Tuesday morning. The authorities began releasing water at the rate of 2 lakh cusec from 2 p.m. on Tuesday and it may go up to 3.4 lakh cusec. The peak discharge may last for about two hours.

Health Commissioner R M Patel said seven cases of gastro enteritis were reported from the city areas and 11 from gram panchayat areas on Monday. He could not provide Tuesday8217;s figure. A team from the Delhi-based National Institute of Communicable Diseases reached Surat on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana, who returned to Surat from Ahmedabad, said he had not demanded the transfer of district collector R M Shah and municipal commissioner S Jagadeesan, as was reported in some newspapers on Tuesday. Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan said that the SMC8217;s medical team would work for one month and paramedical staff conduct door-to-door surveys to check if the people show symptoms of any disease.

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Meanwhile, 100 doctors from various districts including other states are expected to arrive the city to help SMC.