India, Sept. 3 -- Sixty-five workers of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel project in Uttarkashi, where a portion of the tunnel collapsed in November 2023, trapping 41 labourers for 17 days, have been on an indefinite strike since Saturday, alleging they were dismissed in breach of agreement. The company, however, says it is under financial strain due to the 2023 incident and no longer requires their services as 70% of the work is complete. The company, Navayuga Engineering, further said it has followed labour laws, issued notices and settled dues before retrenching workers. Vivek Ramola, 30, one of the sacked workers, said 54 of those retrenched are from his village. He had worked at the site for the past one-and-a-half years. "We were given notices on August 1 that the company would not be able to pay us and was terminating our services due to financial strain caused by the tunnel collapse. We were being paid just Rs.12,000-13,000 a month. In 2018, the company had leased 200 nalis of land from villagers to build its campus and promised us jobs," he said. He alleged the construction damaged farmland, roads and irrigation canals. "Our leased land is ruined and cultivable land has been destroyed. They had promised jobs till the lease expires in 2026, but suddenly terminated us. Provide us with a year of employment, because when they vacate our land, it will be barren," Ramola said. The workers claim to have raised the issue with the Uttarkashi district administration, but say no action has been taken. "We will continue our dharna until there is a resolution," he added. Raju Jayara, another sacked worker, said, "When the tunnel collapsed in 2023, we stood firmly with the company and supported them. But they have thrown us out like this." Company general manager Ravi Kant Singh said the layoffs were unavoidable. "We are under financial strain after the collapse and 70 per cent of the work is complete. Forty-eight workers were retrenched in June, and 65 in August. We have followed labour laws and given them full and final settlement," he said....