Neyveli staff stage hunger strike against divestment

Employees of Neyveli Lignite Corporation today started hunger strikes to resist the Union government's plan to divest 5 per cent stake in the company. Announcing their support to the union's stand on the issue, party workers of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) are planning to organise mass protests at various headquarters against the Centre's proposal.

While a section of the unions said they were not supporting the state government's proposal to buy the five per cent stake, the union affiliated with AIADMK said the workers would withdraw from the strike if the Centre agrees with the state government's proposal.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in a letter to the Prime Minister, proposed to buy the Centre's stake in NLC.