700 Gems Park workers demand their jobs back

HYDERABAD: More than 700 workers in the Hyderabad Gems Park special economic zone (SEZ), promoted by the Gitanjali group, located in the outskirts of Hyderabad have been staging a dharna in front of the park from the past two days demanding that the government reopen the unit or provide them with an alternative source of employment.

The ED on Friday raided five gems and jewellery units in the SEZ at Raviryala village, near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, and seized stocks, before sealing the unit. On Monday, over 700 workers assembled in front of the closed gates of the gems park and staged a dharna.

“The poor workers are thrown on the roads for no fault of theirs, while the real culprits who made big money through illegal means are enjoying their life abroad. The government should come to the rescue of the workers by providing them jobs in the same gems and jewellery units,” CITU leader S N Reddy, who led the agitation of the workers, said.

“The agitation by the workers will continue till justice is done,” he said.

When contacted, Telangana deputy commissioner of labour (Ranga Reddy region) M Pramod Reddy said the issue had come to the notice of the labour department.

“We have asked the workers to give a formal representation to the commissioner of labour...” he said adding that since the gems park is an SEZ, the state government cannot directly intervene.