PARADIP: Gangs running extortion rackets are increasingly targeting public projects and private companies in the port town of Paradip.
The fear of protection money rackets operated by local leaders and criminals has started haunting contractors and companies engaged in construction of polypropylene plant of Paradip Refinery.
Contract agencies have complained that they are being threatened by local leaders and criminals for extortion and job.
In the latest incident, Sanjeeb Swain, site in-charge of Mecneill Engineering Ltd, which was engaged for construction work of the plant, on Friday lodged an FIR at Paradip Lock police station against Trade Union leader Golekha Nayak for demanding extortion money of Rs 2 lakh from the company.
Nayak is also the State secretary of Biju Shramik Samukhya (BSS), a Trade Union wing of ruling BJD, formed in 2017.
On Thursday, an official of the company Soumyranjan Parija was returning home from the office here when Nayak of Nimidihi village and others stopped him on the way and demanded Rs 2 lakh per month as protection money.
Before assaulting Parija, Nayak sought jobs for 50 workers of his union in the company. Parija was also threatened with dire consequences if the company fails to meet the demand, the FIR stated.
Again on Friday, a group of armed miscreants led by Nayak forcibly entered the house of firm’s supervisor Sukumar Sahoo and took away all the gate passes of workers, six mobile phones and other valuable documents from him.
Later, they kidnapped Sahoo at gunpoint and confined him in the union office.
Earlier, goons had demanded Rs 50 lakh from another company, China Kunlun Contracting and Engineering Corporation, engaged for construction of the polypropylene plant.
Firm’s local HR manager R P Hota had lodged an FIR with the police who later arrested a person in this connection.
However, officials of the contract agencies alleged that police remain mum in the cases due to involvement of the ruling party leaders.
Following the extortions, construction work of the plant has been stalled. Police registered a case and started investigation.