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Industrial workers on rampage in Delhi

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The industrial unrest in Delhi took a violent turn when protestors went on a rampage and stoned public transport vehicles and set fire to some of them at various places.

Reports said that a person lost his life when he tried to resist the protestors.

Four buses were burnt at Loni border, Tri Nagar and some other places.

Office-goers and commuters had a harrowing time for the third day in succession when they found that all major roundabouts of Delhi had been blocked by industrial workers. While most preferred returning home, others had to walk miles to reach their offices.

At most places, commuters complained of the unhelpful attitude of Delhi police personnel, who stood near the trouble spots and did nothing to prevent the workers from blocking traffic.

The workers were protesting against the Delhi administration's bid to seal industrial units in residential areas following a directive from the Supreme Court that all polluting units in the capital be shifted outside Delhi.

Bharatiya Janata Party vice president and former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana had condemned the move to seal all units in residential colonies. A former minister's in Khurana's government, Harsharan Singh Balli, has an industrial unit that operates from a residential colony in west Delhi.

"There are only 7,000 industrial units that come under the polluting units category. But the Delhi government is bent on closing down all units in Delhi, irrespective of whether they are polluting or not," Khurana told newsmen.

Barring New Delhi district and some parts of south Delhi, Delhiites found it difficult to commute. Ashish Thomas, an office-goer, said that it took him very long to get to office from Rohini to Vasant Vihar. Commuter Naveen Verma took almost two hours to reach offfice in south Delhi from his north Delhi residence.

Zakhira, Naraina industrial area, Vazirpur industrial area, Punjab Bagh, Tri Nagar, Azadpur Sabji Mandi, Adarsh Nagar, Moti Bagh, were some of the worst hit.

Protestors deflated tyres of buses and cars that tried to go past. At several places they even stoned buses and tried to set them on fire. Even the general public was not spared.

Delhi Lt Governor Vijay Kapoor met Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the top brass of the Delhi police and took stock of the situation. The chief minister held a separate meeting with cabinet colleagues.

Delhi Transport Corporation general manager S H Jaffery was not available for comments. "Why don't you talk to public relations manager Maya Kunwar," an official of the GM's office suggested. When contacted on the telephone, a lady said Kunwar had gone to Pragati Maidan for a trade fair.

Delhi BJP members of Parliament have expressed concern over the situation and they plan to take up the matter with Prime Minister A B Vajpayee.

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