Watch: Why workers at an Adani power plant in Jharkhand went on a strike
An Adani-owned thermal power plant in Godda, Jharkhand, supplies electricity to Bangladesh – the only private sector project in India which has been allowed to export power to another country.
Last year, a change of regime in Dhaka brought the project under the spotlight – taking objection to the price at which Adani sold electricity, the Bangladesh government threatened to renegotiate the power purchase agreement with the company.
While Dhaka's objections have made news, what has gone largely unreported is the disquiet in Godda district. In April, workers at the plant went on a strike over what they said were the company's unfulfilled promises.
Many of these workers had given up more than two acres of land for the project. In addition to the regular compensation, the company had offered them either a one-time payment of Rs 5.5 lakh or a job at the plant. Many had chosen the job, hoping for steady work.
But instead of being hired directly by Adani Power, most were taken on contract through outsourcing firms. On March 31, workers got emails saying they were being shifted to another contractor. Fearing job insecurity, they went on a hunger strike, demanding that they be hired directly by Adani Power. The company maintained that it had provided jobs in accordance with the central land acquisition law and the resettlement rules of Jharkhand.
The strike ended on April 10 after Jharkhand's labour minister Sanjay Yadav intervened, visiting the protest site to meet the striking workers. At the meeting, the mukhiya of one of the project-affected villages said in the presence of the minister that Adani Power had failed to deliver on a wider set of promises made to local people.
Scroll travelled to the villages where discontentment against the project was widespread. A spokesperson of Adani Power, however, claimed that the corporate social responsibility department of the company had 'actively worked in line with the commitments, focusing on holistic community development'.
Play
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Hans India
India doubles down on shipbuilding to become global maritime power
New Delhi: The shipbuilding industry in India is undergoing a transformational shift, as the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi accelerates efforts to build a world-class maritime ecosystem, according to Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. In line with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the long-term strategic roadmap of Amrit Kaal, the Union Budget 2025 has announced a series of reforms and investments aimed at significantly enhancing the capacity and competitiveness of Indian shipyards. 'These initiatives are expected to strengthen India's position as an emerging global maritime power,' Sonowal said at the ongoing monsoon session of the Lok Sabha. Highlighting the government's commitment, Sonowal underlined the 'Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy which is being revamped to address cost disadvantages,' thereby helping Indian shipyards compete on equal footing with their international counterparts. The inclusion of credit notes for ship breaking in Indian yards reinforces the push towards a circular and sustainable maritime economy. To boost infrastructure financing, large ships above a specified size will now be classified under the Infrastructure Harmonised Master List, making them eligible for long-term, low-interest funding. Simultaneously, the government will facilitate the development of integrated shipbuilding clusters, equipped with modern infrastructure, skill development centres, and advanced technologies. This, the Budget notes, is aimed at 'increasing the range, categories and capacity of ships' built in India. In a landmark move to address the industry's need for long-term capital, the government has proposed a Rs 25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund, with up to 49 per cent government contribution. This fund will mobilise private and port-led investments to expand and modernise India's shipbuilding and repair capabilities. Recognising the long gestation nature of the industry, tax exemptions on Basic Customs Duty (BCD) for raw materials and components used in shipbuilding and ship-breaking have been extended for another 10 years. 'Our commitment to empower and enable our maritime sector is absolute and it is with this intent we are working under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi,' said Sonowal. To give Indian shipbuilders a competitive edge in public procurement, the government has extended the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) for tenders floated by public sector units. As per the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017, vessels valued under Rs 200 crore must be procured from Indian yards, thereby reinforcing the goal of self-reliance in maritime assets. On the ship repair front, Cochin Shipyard Limited has inaugurated a Rs 970 crore International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) in Kochi.
Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- Indian Express
How village women from Pune's Hiware are breaking glass ceilings and becoming breadwinners
Monika Dalvi's transformation began with just Rs 50 worth of seeds and a determination that wouldn't take no for an answer. When her husband's agricultural ventures kept failing, she kept asking him to let her manage their farm, but his response was always a firm refusal. 'He finally gave me just 2,000 square feet of land, probably thinking I'd fail,' says Dalvi, a resident of Hiware village in Pune's Purandar taluka. What happened next surprised everyone, including her husband. Within three months, she had earned a profit of Rs 25,000 by cutting out middlemen and selling produce directly to consumers. Today, her husband stays home to take care of their children while Dalvi single-handedly manages 2.5 acres of farmland. 'Women like us from rural areas have the potential to do wonders. We just need family support and proper mentorship,' she says. Dalvi's story is one of 17 similar transformations in Hiware village, where young women have launched enterprises ranging from dairy collectives and tailoring units to beauty parlours and hardware workshops. Their journey from domestic confinement to entrepreneurial leadership offers insights into how targeted interventions can unlock rural women's economic potential. Until recently, most women in Hiware couldn't leave their homes without their husbands' permission, let alone participate in gram sabhas. Despite many being 12th pass or graduates, they had little understanding of local governance. 'Not a single woman used to participate in a gram sabha meeting before,' says Dalvi. But when Magic Bus India Foundation, an NGO, started its Young Women Fellowship Programme (YWFP) in Hiware in November 2023, the picture started changing. The NGO, which works with people from underserved communities, faced initial resistance from families who viewed women's roles as strictly domestic. 'Initially, family members opposed any kind of training for these women. But the women somehow managed to attend the sessions, and gradually, mindsets began shifting,' says Pravina Kukade, Deputy General Manager at Magic Bus Foundation, who conducted life skills training in the village. The programme has helped 124 women across Pune and Raigad districts to become entrepreneurs in two years, with 94 per cent of the first cohort now financially independent. The average monthly income is Rs 9,500, with over half earning profits above Rs 4,000. But the numbers tell only part of the story. Trupti Jagtap, who convinced her husband to let her start a furniture accessories workshop, now generates employment and actively participates in family decisions. 'Unlike before, when we couldn't even voice our suggestions, I now take part in making family decisions,' she says. Nisha Chavre learned tailoring skills through the programme and has since taught over 15 women. Reshma Kudale took beauty parlour training and now provides services as far as Latur and Beed. Moreover, these women have become agents of community development. In April this year, they successfully pressured the gram panchayat through gram sabha meetings to renovate a water tank that had been in disrepair for the last decade. One fellow has become the deputy sarpanch in Khopoli. Community engagement in the area has increased, and women are now addressing issues ranging from water scarcity and garbage disposal to street lighting and school renovations. They have organised health camps, established resource centres, and even collectively funded nursery school renovations using their stipend money. 'The NGO provides entrepreneurship training, seed funding, connections to domain experts, and initially a monthly stipend, which helped instil confidence and make them financially independent,' explains Kukade. 'Through YWFP, we aim to address the Female Labour Force Participation Rate gap, a critical challenge in rural India where women's workforce participation remains low despite their potential,' said Swati Ranware, a trainer with Magic Bus NGO.
India.com
12 minutes ago
- India.com
India-Russia oil trade: Rs 5.9 lakh crore trade at risk after US' ultimatum, if Trump cuts India off from Russian oil, Putin may hit back with...
Putin is true friend of India due to..., it helped at every step in making of..... but what is China connection? India is the world's third-largest oil importer and since 2022, it has become the top buyer of Russian oil. India buys up to 2 million barrels of oil from Russia every day. That's about 2 per cent of the world's total oil supply. China and Turkey are also among the biggest buyers of Russian oil. Putin may hit back by shutting down the CPC pipeline According to experts at JP Morgan, India plays a very important role in Russia's oil export plans. If anything disrupts this path, Russia could strike back by shutting down the CPC pipeline that runs through Kazakhstan. This pipeline is important because major US oil companies like Chevron and Exxon have big stakes in it. So, Russia also has ways to put pressure on the West. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has warned that if Russia doesn't agree to a peace deal with Ukraine by August 7–9, he will impose up to 100 per cent tariffs on countries that continue buying Russian oil. On top of that, a 25 per cent tariff on all Indian goods entering the US has already come into effect starting this Friday. Rs. 5.9 lakh crore trade at risk According to a Reuters report, after Donald Trump's warning, Indian state-run oil companies have stopped buying Russian oil this week. If India gives in to US pressure and stops buying oil from Russia, the impact will not just be on Russia, it could shake the entire global oil market. Crude oil prices might rise above USD 80 per barrel worldwide. India and Russia have always shared a strong bond. In the financial year 2024–25, the trade between the two countries reached USD 68.7 billion i.e. nearly Rs. 5.9 lakh crore. That's about 5.8 times more than the trade before the COVID-19 pandemic. A big part of this trade is crude oil. Russia now supplies around 40 per cent of all the oil India needs. But the partnership between India and Russia is not just about oil. It also includes defence and nuclear energy. India buys many of its military weapons from Russia, and both countries are working together to build nuclear reactors. Now, Trump's pressure could weaken this strong partnership. If things go wrong, it may harm India's energy security and defence strength. India caught between two powerful partners India is facing a tough situation. On one side, it has deep and long-standing ties with Russia. On the other, it has important trade relations with the United States. Now, all of this has come down to a difficult choice involving USD 68 billion (around Rs. 5.9 lakh crore) in trade. Trump has even warned of tariffs as high as 500 per cent on countries that continue buying oil from Russia. This is like a sword hanging over India's head. Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami made it clear that the country cannot shut down its economy just to follow Western sanctions. He also pointed out that European countries are still trading with Russia, so it's unfair to expect India to stop completely.
