Police and workers brawl at Adani Port, leaving 10 officers hurt
Ten police officers were hurt during a fight with contract employees on Thursday at the Adani group’s Gangavaram Port in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district. The employees insisted on occupying the port.
In support of their demand for the reinstatement of fired port employees and the payment of a minimum salary of Rs 36,000, labor groups had announced a bandh on Thursday. The previous 1.5 months have seen protests from the Left-led unions.
They demanded a formal guarantee of their raise, death benefits, and one-time payout in addition to the restoration of the fired employees and the minimum wage.
For the “chalo Gangavaram port” event, when union members marched towards the main gate carrying flags of several Opposition parties, including the Left, TDP, and Jana Sena, a significant number of police officers were posted in anticipation of unrest.
The police attempted to stop the protesting employees from crossing the iron barrier along the port, but they were able to do so despite having an advantage in numbers. Numerous protesters and police officers were hurt in the subsequent brawl. A barbed wire snagged the CI of Gajuwaka’s leg, causing damage.
After the altercation, the police detained many union officials.
The 1,800 acres of land that make up the Gangavaram port were initially purchased by the state government for the RINL steel mill in Visakhapatnam. Being the entrance to the steel factory gives it a tactical advantage.
Midway through 2021, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy administration sold the Adani group a 10.4% ownership stake in the port for Rs 120 a share, for a total of Rs 644 crore. Because the state government did not conduct a competitive bidding procedure as required by the Centre’s disinvestment rules, the agreement was criticized.
Workers went on strike earlier in June of this year in protest at the suspension of two employees. In order to contain the situation, the police had to enter the port’s grounds and make seven arrests.
