Bhubaneswar: Police on Wednesday arrested Trade Union leader Abhay Sahoo and three others in connection with the agitation staged by hundreds of protesters in front of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) refinery at Paradip.
Sources said Sahoo and his associates were picked up by the police from their houses late in the night.
Meanwhile, protesting the police act, around one hundred agitators staged a demonstration in front of the IOCL main gate today.
Sources said hundreds of land losers and displaced families had launched a demonstration in front of Paradip Refinery demanding permanent jobs on Monday. As the IOCL authorities did not heed their demands, the agitators blocked the road at the IOCL site affecting production and official work. No official was allowed to enter the plant by the agitators.
They alleged that although IOCL authorities had assured them that their demands will be looked into prior to the inauguration of the refinery by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they are yet to get jobs in the project or any other benefit.
IOCL had acquired 3,300 hectares of land for its oil refinery project in 17 villages under Kujang tehsil of Jagatsinghpur district. At least Rs 49 crore was given to the affected families as compensation against the land acquired. A many as 1,752 families of the area were affected.
The IOCL authorities had assured to settle their demand by April 25.