Jamshedpur: Dharna in front of Metalsa demanding compensation of Rs 50 lakh each for three drowned children

Mail News Service

Seraikela, April 29: A protest was organized at the gate of Metalsa India Pvt Ltd by the family members, relatives and villagers demanding compensation for the families of three children who were drowned while bathing in a pond in the company’s premises on Thursday. They demanded a compensation amount of Rs 50 lakh each for the three bereaved families and permanent jobs in Metalsa. The protest affected traffic flow until the dharna was called off late on Friday evening with a warning to the company’s management to accede to their demands within 48 hours.

The family members of the deceased children, the company management and local MLA Dashrath Gagrai held the first round of tripartite discussions. MLA Dashrath Gagrai expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families over the incident while, in the same vein, blamed the Metalsa management for the drowning of the three children that led to their deaths. He said, “If the company had provided an ambulance timely to take the children to the hospital, the children could have been saved.”

Gagrai clearly warned the Metalsa management that if they did not accept the demands within 48 hours, then the company’s products would be prevented from being transported out. The MLA said that he had clearly stated to Metalsa management officials that the local people had given their land for the construction of the company and held high hopes for some benefits like employment or monetary consideration but the company did not live up to the villagers’ expectations. Under such circumstances, if the company refuses to pay the compensation amount demanded and the employment of persons from the bereaved families, the company’s gates would be locked.”

It may be informed that on Thursday, April 28, the three children went to bathe in the pond inside the Metalsa compound. While bathing, they were drowned. Two of them were siblings while the third was their cousin. When the villagers came to know of the mishap, they requested the Metalsa management to provide an ambulance to take the children to the hospital. On being refused, the villagers somehow managed to get an ambulance provided by another company and took them to Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur where they were declared dead.

The bodies of the children were handed over to the families after post mortem on Friday. The angry villagers then sat on dharna at the Metalsa gate with the bodies of the three children and demanded cash and jobs as compensation. However, after the tripartite talks that lasted for about five hours, the children’s dead bodies were taken for burial with an ultimatum to accept their demands within 48 hours. Kharsawan MLA Dashrath Gagrai, Seraikela BDO Mrityunjay Kumar, SHO Manohar Kumar, management officials and relatives of the deceased were present during the talks.