CPM demands blacklisting of HCC

Shimla, June 11 (UNI) Condemning the murder of three Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) activists in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh last night, the state unit of the CPM today demanded that the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), executing the Chamera III power project, should be blacklisted for its criminal antecedents.

''A group of four union activists were attacked at Khada Mukhi, about 72 kms from Chamba, hours after the union's one-day strike came to an end at the Dakog Dam site,'' party's state secretariat member Sanjay Chauhan told UNI here.

He said the union had called the strike to protest the HCC management's failure to implement the labour laws, which were being violated by the company despite clear instructions for their implementation by the state government.

The criminals allegedly hired by the company attacked the union activists with sticks, hockey sticks and iron rods before throwing them into the river at about 2100 hrs, killing district CITU president Baburam and two other activists, identified as Vijay and Dhami, he said.

Mr Chauhan said the matter came to the notice only after a union member, identified as Pramod Kumar, who escaped unhurt in the incident reported the matter to the district committee of the party.

Demanding strict action against the HCC management for their involvement in the incident, he alleged it was the same company that had fired on the agitating CITU workers in Maglad area of Shimla district during the construction of the Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Project that resulted in the death of a worker in 2000.

Similarly, the hired criminals of the company had also fired and killed a worker and injured several others during the construction of a tunnel at Baniyal area of Jammu district a few years ago, he claimed.

The CPM leader alleged private construction companies executing power projects in the state were violating labour laws and exploiting the labourers and said, it had become a practice on their part to murder union activists.

Even the state government usually stands by these companies instead of taking action against them, he alleged.

Threatening ''strict action'' against the people involved in the murder of union leaders and asking for Rs five lakh compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, he said the party would launch a state-wide agitation if their demands were not met.

UNI AS HS DKS KP1826