700 night guards rendered jobless in Singur

Singur, Jul 2: At least 700 local youths were rendered unemployed when their services as night guards at the Tata Motors factory for small cars here were terminated. Local BDO Prosenjit Chakraborty, in a notice said the services of the night guards would be discontinued with effect from Tuesday, July 1.

The youths were employed for guarding the 12 km perimeter of the Tata Motors project, sprawling over an area of around 1,000 acres. They were earlier appointed by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) as casual workers since December 2006. ''Since Tata Motors has decided to man the project site with their own security personnel, the WBIDC has decided to terminate the services of the night guards,'' Mr Chakraborty elaborated.

Terming it to be a matter of great concern, he assured that efforts would be made to engage them in the ancilliary industries as unskilled labourers, which would come up in line with the small car project.

Meanwhile, disgruntled over the sudden decision to dismiss them, the youths informed newspersons that they had been appointed after referrence by local CPI(M) leaders.

Moreover, they alleged that they had been deprived of their daily wage of Rs 70 since February 2007.

''We have sacrificed our land, besides playing an instrumental role in creating awareness among people to give away their land for the project. We even withstood attacks from local people. Despite all this, we are driven out,'' one of the dismissed workers lamented.

CPI(M) Hooghly district secretariat member and the party's local leader Bolai Sabui told newspersons that since Tata Motors had recruited workers, their services were no longer required.

''They were taken as casual employees. However, appeals would be made to Tata Motors to provide them with jobs as they deserve,'' Mr Sabui said.

UNI