Buxar Power Plant Indefinite Strike Enters 3rd Day

Patna: The indefinite strike by nearly 3,000 workers of the under-construction Buxar Thermal Power Project in Bihar’s Chausa village entered the third day on Saturday. The protesting workers have demanded increased wages and only eight hours of work.

A senior official of the power plant said that more than 80% of construction has been affected.

The workers struck work suddenly on September 21 to protest low wages and 12 hours of work. On Saturday, they started protesting in their residential colonies.

“We will not end the strike and protest unless power plant officials, L&T and contractors give us a written assurance about fulfilling our demands,” Gaurav Rai, a worker leader, told Newsclick.

Rai alleged that workers haven’t been registered and are paid for 8 hours despite working for 12 hours. “If workers were registered, they would have got basic rights and facilities,” he said.

A protesting worker, Raju Singh, said, “We are contractual workers hired by L&T and its contractors.”

Early this year, hundreds of farmers protested for days regarding the compensation paid issue to them.

The 1,320 MW plant, containing two units of 660 MW, is being constructed by SJVN Thermal Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam on 1,283 acres.

According to state energy department officials, the second unit’s construction is the Centre’s biggest project.

The construction will be completed by early next year, the plant will be put on trial in February 2024 and start operating soon.

The project’s foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, 2019. The project with green field supercritical technology will cost about Rs 11,000 crore.