Workers stop crushing in Vellore sugar mill demanding conduct of rituals

Vellore

Not conducting pooja rituals in the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill has resulted in stoppage of crushing of 1.80 lakh tones. The process was expected to start from Thursday, but was later put off till Saturday evening as workers objected, sources said. The inauguration witnessed tense situation as local VIPs felt slighted. Though Vellore MP Kathir Anand and the Vellore DRO did the honours, mill staff were peeved that they inaugurated crushing by throwing in cane stalks on to the conveyor belt without first completing the customary riutals. Mill chairman M Anandan said, “They stopped the machine pulling the conveyor belt and I had to coax them to restart it.” Mill officials obliged and hence the conveyor was operating cane stalks were thrown on it for inauguration. “But as soon as the officials and VIPs left, machinery was stopped again. Adamant workers stated that they would not operate the mill till the rituals were completed,” a witness informed DT Next. Later, mill officials and workers agreed to crush from Saturday after conduct of all rituals.