Power employees held hostage for third straight day in Bihar’s Aurangabad

PATNA/AURANGABAD: The employees of Bharatiya Rail Bijlee Company Ltd in Aurangabad, Bihar, and their family members were held hostage by around 300 villagers for the third consecutive day Tuesday, said officials.

The 150 employees of the state-run electricity company and their family members are being held hostage in the township since Sunday evening by people of Surar and neighbouring villages demanding supply of power, Vishwanath Chandan, NTPC manager (public relations), Patna, told PTI.

The 1,000-mw power plant located in Aurangabad is a joint venture between the NTPC and the Railways.

“We are making efforts for an amicable solution with the help of the local administration,” Chandan said.

The BRBCL unit of the NTPC Executive Federation of India (NEFI) has also urged the company management to end the impasse by this evening, failing which the NEFI said it would relocate its employees out of the township.

Around 300 people from Surar and neighbouring villages are camping outside the main gate of the BRBCL township and throwing stones into the premises, official sources said.

Aurangabad District Magistrate Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal said, “The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Sadar were sent for holding talks with the villagers on Monday. It continued till 10 pm but the stalemate could not be resolved.

“Another round of talks will be held this evening to resolve the issue and we are hopeful of getting an amicable solution.”