A fertiliser-making facility at the Pramodnagar solid-waste dumping ground in Dum Dum has remained closed for two days after a group allegedly entered the premises, assaulted workers and issued threats, disrupting waste processing linked to five municipal areas. The facility’s authorities have emailed Dum Dum police about the incident, while no arrests had been reported when the matter was published.
According to the report, the alleged attack took place on Saturday night. Workers said a group of around 40 to 50 people entered the plant and created disorder. Several employees, including the manager, were allegedly beaten and threatened. The incident has left workers fearful, with some not returning to the facility, resulting in the shutdown.
The plant processes waste collected at the dumping ground and converts it into fertiliser. Waste from five municipal areas is reportedly deposited there, making the facility part of a wider urban waste-handling chain rather than an isolated industrial unit.
A manager alleged that the group claimed to be associated with the local MLA and said that the government had changed. According to the manager, the group demanded that the existing security guards be removed and replaced with people of its choice. The group also allegedly sought control over purchases of machinery-related materials and demanded regular payments.
The facility’s authorities have linked the alleged incident to concerns about industrial security. One official told the media that such alleged intimidation could undermine efforts to attract industry to the state. The allegations against people associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, however, have not been established by the police.
Dum Dum MLA Arijit Boksi rejected the political allegations and said the dispute was connected to a long-running local problem around the facility. He alleged that a syndicate had been active in the area and that people involved in criminal activities were associated with it. He also said a shop near the facility had been vandalised on Saturday night, after which local residents went to the plant to protest.
Boksi denied that anyone had been taken to a BJP office. He said employees had gone there on their own to meet him and that he was not present at the office. His account differs from the allegation that two plant officials were taken there by force.
Police said they had received the complaint by email and that the authorities would file a formal complaint. The police also said the matter was being examined. BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya said he would look into the incident, while Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that pressure was being placed on workers and businesses in different locations. Those political claims were not independently established in the report.
The immediate official next step is the filing and examination of the formal complaint. The plant’s reopening timeline and the restoration of waste-processing operations remain dependent on the police inquiry and the return of workers.
