Protest over Patanjali food park workers' release

Workers engaged in the under construction Patanjali food park in Sonitpur district today held a protest meeting alleging that local employees were being replaced by outsiders.
The workers protested in front of the main gate of Patanjali Mega Herbal Food Park at Ghoramari and alleged that they were released from their respective jobs from today and were replaced by people from outside the state.
The demonstrators claimed that over 85 employees have been released without citing any reason and 60 workers from outside Assam have taken their place.
The agitators later submitted a memorandum to Sonitpur district administration demanding justice.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Deka, however, said the new appointees were not from outside Assam.
Those 85 persons were engaged by a security agency and as their service was not satisfactory, Patanjali engaged its own security personnel hailed from Assam and not from outside the state, Deka told PTI.

Some of the new workers are even from Tezpur, he said.
The authorities of the Patanjali Mega Herbal Food Park at Ghoramari could not be contacted despite several attempts.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1300 crore food park in presence of Patanjali Ayurved founder Ramdev on November 6 last year.

The food park is situated near the Assam Industrial Development Corporation complex, about 15 km from Tezpur town.