Agartala, 4th July 2026: Around 40 contractual workers engaged at the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) project staged a road blockade on Saturday, alleging that they were prevented from entering their workplace by a group of people and subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, one of the workers, identified as Montu Das, claimed that the workers were stopped from entering the project premises between 9 am and 10 am. He alleged that those preventing their entry questioned whether the workers belonged to the Dhanpur or Sonamura mandal and did not allow anyone from the Dhanpur side to enter.
According to the protesters, they were allegedly abused, pushed and threatened while attempting to report for duty. The workers said they were unaware of the reason behind the alleged restriction and claimed that no prior notice had been issued by the NEEPCO authorities regarding their entry into the workplace.
The agitating workers stated that they have been associated with the project for nearly 16 to 17 years in various capacities, including plumbers, cleaners, sweepers, forest cutters, office assistants and other support staff. They maintained that there had been no previous dispute between the two groups before Saturday’s incident.
The protesters clarified that the demonstration was organised solely by the workers and was not led by any local political organisation. They also said they had not yet discussed the matter with the local MLA.
The workers demanded that they be allowed to resume their duties without obstruction. They warned that if they continue to be denied access to work, they would intensify their agitation and resort to further road blockades.
No official statement had been issued by NEEPCO or the district administration regarding the allegations at the time of filing this report. The claims made by the protesters could not be independently verified.
