Lloyds Metals and Energy ready to provide jobs to surrendered Naxals in Gadchiroli: MD

Gadchiroli, Oct 15 (PTI) Private firm Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd (LMEL), which has operations in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, on Wednesday offered to train and thereafter provide jobs to surrendered Naxalites in the district.

LMEL Managing Director B Prabhakaran made the offer after senior Naxal leader Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres surrendered along with their arms before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli, a Maoist-affected district in eastern Maharashtra which is now emerging as an industrial hub, especially for the steel sector.

"We will work on how to involve them (surrendered Naxals) and what work they can do. A person (like Bhupathi), who has been in jungle for 30 years and living with a certain ideology, has come out and joined the mainstream. I think it is a fantastic opportunity for us to involve him and make him a brand ambassador so that remaining people (Naxals) also come out and join the mainstream," he said while talking to PTI Videos.

LMEL operates Surjagarh iron ore mines, a DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) plant and a pellet unit at Konsari in Gadchiroli district. It is building an integrated steel plant. The company also runs skill development initiatives under two entities -- Lloyds Skill Development and Training Centre and L T Gondwana Skill Hub Pvt Ltd.

Speaking after the surrender of Naxals, Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, announced that Prabhakaran has agreed to provide training and jobs thereafter to surrendered Maoists willing to work in Gadchiroli.

Prabhakaran, who was present at the programme, said, "Ours was the first industry to come to Gadchiroli and we are operating a company here for the last 75 years. It is our responsibility to see that other industries follow us and set up their plants in Gadchiroli. Hence, we are very careful to ensure inclusive growth and boost happiness index at workplace for development," he opined.

Prabhakaran said his company's "100 per cent" priority was to train local people and facilitate their career growth so that they don't just remain workers, but become managers and senior executives.

"Those already in jobs are doing an excellent work. The local workforce is dedicated and their attendance is very good. Their ability to learn skills is also very good," he stressed.

Prabhakaran noted that after giving vocational training to young people, the company provides on-the-job training before recruiting them in its different units.

The MD stated that those who were trained and given jobs in the last one year were doing very good work.

Prabhakaran said his company's doors were open to everyone from Gadchiroli, including Bhupathi and other surrendered Naxalites.

A company release said LMEL, in coordination with the Maharashtra government and Gadchiroli police, has so far provided employment to 68 Maoists who had surrendered earlier along with 14 members of families affected by Naxal violence, bringing the total to 82 individuals.

These employees are engaged across departments such as administration, civil and construction work, and mechanical operations, it said.

The release said that recognising that many of the surrendered individuals had limited formal education, LMEL implemented a skill-based rehabilitation model. Participants were trained at the Lloyds Skill Development and Training Centre at Konsari, acquiring relevant technical and operational skills before joining the company's workforce.

In July, Prabhakaran said Lloyds Metals is targeting to invest over Rs 40,000 crore to develop a steel plant and other units in Gadchiroli district over the next five years. PTI CLS RSY