Tension at Sunabeda HAL as locals lock gates

Jeypore: Tension prevailed after members of two local outfits staged an agitation in front of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Sunabeda in Koraput on Tuesday.

The agitators locked three gates of the HAL plant disrupting operations at the plant.

Locals and other members belonging to Peripheral Parishad of HAL-adopted villages and activists of the Koraputia Yuva Manch staged the demonstration and locked all gates of the Central establishment on a 14-point charter of demands.

Their demands include 50 per cent job reservation for skilled, 90 per cent job reservation for unskilled youths on contractual basis, emergency ambulance services and assistance for higher education of children of the workers.

Semiliguda Tehsildar and Sunabeda IIC reached the spot to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, adequate police forces have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to prevent any kind of untoward incident.

"The HAL is not following the State directive issued on January 11, 2008 which has provision for 60 per cent job reservation for locals and other CSR activities," said an agitator.