MRPL contract workers and people affected by the refinery and Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) projects have petitioned the Dakshina Kannada district administration, seeking action on workplace concerns, rehabilitation commitments, local employment and civic problems around the industrial facilities.
The representation was submitted to Additional Deputy Commissioner K. Raju under the leadership of Satyajit Surathkal, president of the MRPL-MSEZ Contract Workers and Affected Persons Struggle Committee. The committee said the demands covered both contract workers employed at MRPL and residents who were displaced during land acquisition.
The petition follows what the committee described as a recent explosion accident at MRPL, which has caused concern among workers and affected communities. The report does not provide details of the incident, including the date, cause, extent of damage or any official findings. The committee has used the incident to renew its demand for action on worker-related concerns at the refinery.
A major demand concerns land acquired for MRPL’s fourth-phase expansion. The committee has asked the authorities and the company to provide jobs and other facilities to people displaced during the acquisition, in line with assurances it says were given at the time. It has also sought direct employment opportunities for local residents rather than limiting access to indirect or contract work.
The petition also raises concerns about wastewater, foul odour and inadequate basic infrastructure in areas linked to the industrial facilities. These demands place the district administration at the centre of issues that extend beyond employment, including the management of industrial impacts on neighbouring settlements and the delivery of essential civic services.
The committee has further requested that 75% of MRPL’s corporate social responsibility funds be earmarked for the development of Dakshina Kannada district. The demand links the company’s local social spending to the wider development needs of the area hosting the refinery and MSEZ-related activity.
The representation was submitted in the presence of committee general convenor Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe and members including Dinakar Shetty, Prasanna Ravi, Akshith Suvarna, Ritesh Karkera, Hitesh Rai, Doni Suaris, Sudhakar Shetty, Praveen Permude, Gurumurthy, Mark D’Souza, Keshav Shetty, Santhosh Korayya and Shankar Jogi. MRPL Maddur Sangha representatives Rohitashwa and Jayakumar Shetty were also present.
The committee said it would intensify its agitation if it did not receive a response to its demands by October 31. The report does not specify what measures the district administration or MRPL has proposed in response to the representation.
