Hooghly, September 17 (HS): The workers of the Uttarpara plant of India''s first car manufacturing company Hindustan Motors Limited faced disappointment this year too during Vishwakarma Puja. The streets of Hindmotor Colony, which was once bustling with activity on the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja, remained deserted this year on the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja.

On the morning of May 24, 2014, the management had put up a notice of suspension of work stoppage at the company gate. Since then this factory never opened again. The tall building of the factory was reduced to ruins. Skyscrapers were built on a part of the factory. The machines present in the factory started disappearing one by one. The 70 year old Hind Motor High School present in the factory premises was closed. Electricity and water supply of Hindmotor Colony was cut off and the helpless laborers living here with their families kept seeing all this in front of their eyes. Many labor families left the colony amidst this.

But still about 70 families living in this colony are forced to live a life without basic facilities like electricity and water. It is alleged that at the time when the company management had put the notice of suspension of work in the factory, six months'' salary of the employees was pending, which the company management has not paid till date. It is not that the people of Hindmotor Colony did not raise their voice for their rights. The people of Hindmotor Colony raised their voice from the streets to the Assembly and the High Court, but their voice remained suppressed. According to the documents in the hands of Hindusthan Samachar, the High Court had ordered the company management to pay dearness allowance to the employees last year itself. But till now the management does not seem to have taken any initiative to comply with the court order.

Pankaj Rai, an agitator associated with the Hindmotor movement, said, ''Even in such an atmosphere of extreme despair, the employees here are not dejected and have decided to continue their struggle''. Hindusthan Samachar/Priyanka/Manoj