Assam: Job Uncertainty Looms Over Fixed-Pay Workers at Karbi Langpi Hydel Project in Karbi Anglong

In Assam’s Karbi Anglong area, twenty-nine fixed-pay Grade III and Grade IV employees of the Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project are facing growing uncertainty over their jobs after serving for nearly 20 years.

The workers had joined the hydroelectric project in 2007 as temporary employees when construction began. Since then, they have continued to work on the project but remain without regularisation, leaving them anxious about the possibility of losing their jobs.
Despite submitting multiple appeals and applications seeking regularisation over the years, the employees claim that no steps have been taken to address their concerns.

Taking up the issue, the Karbi Students’ Association has stepped forward in support of the affected workers. The student body recently submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Power Minister through the project’s General Manager, Longsing Bey, urging the government to regularise the services of the 29 employees at the earliest.

The association also expressed concern that commitments made during the construction of the project were not fully honoured. According to the organisation, there had been assurances that local youths would be appointed to Grade III and Grade IV posts and that free electricity would be provided within a 10-kilometre radius of the project. The alleged failure to implement these promises has drawn sharp criticism.

The Karbi Students’ Association has warned that if the services of the 29 employees are not regularised soon, it may resort to strong democratic agitation in the coming days. 

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