The BJP government of Himachal Pradesh in league with the joint sector management of the Naptha Jhakri Power Corporation has foisted a criminal case, alleging murder of a private security hand, on Rakhes Singha, president of the state CITU and four other leaders. The management in nexus with the INTUC had been working overtime to break the CITU union. The workers resisted the move by going on strike in last February – March 1999, as a result of which the management was forced to agree to start negotiations with the CITU union. But after the strike was called off the management mounted yet another offensive by retrenching 600 workers from the project, leading to a fresh strike since last week of May 1999.

The CITU vehemently condemns the motivated arrest of the leaders of the Himachal Pradesh CITU and demands of the HP government to immediately release the arrested leaders, clear the goondas from the project area, bring to books those responsible for the murder of an innocent worker and prevail upon the project management to settle the issues by mutual discussions with the CITU union. The CITU also demands the state government to pay exemplary compensation to the family of the killed worker.