Digboi: Unemployed youths from various rural areas of Digboi in Assam’s Tinsukia district have raised concerns about alleged anomalies in the awarding of contract works for the Digboi Refinery Expansion Project.
The Digboi Refinery Expansion Project is a sanctioned project aimed at increasing the refinery’s capacity from the existing 0.65 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) to 1 mmtpa, with an estimated cost of Rs 740.20 crores.
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The youths claimed that the initial work was awarded to Keller Ground Engineering India Private Limited, which then allegedly authorized Hemanta Agarwal, a Tinsukia-based businessman, and three other entities to execute further work.
A key point of contention is the demand for over 6,000 cubic feet of minor minerals, allegedly stipulated to be procured exclusively from crusher mills based at Roing in Arunachal Pradesh. This has sparked concerns about potential revenue loss for the Assam government.
Furthermore, allegations suggest that samples from Assam’s crusher mills were inexplicably rejected, allegedly favoring a select group of entities associated with Eastern Enterprises, AMR Stone Crushers, Simari Concrete Industries, and RR Mines & Minerals of Roing in Arunachal Pradesh, allowing only these four to supply the minerals.
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“Astonishingly, local contractors with the same sample were allegedly not approved, thus keeping them out of the bidding process,” stated a contractor who claimed to have been denied the opportunity despite reportedly bidding at a lower rate.
Meanwhile, educated unemployed youths from areas surrounding Digboi, including Powai, Bhimpather, Haldibari, Khalgaon, Mulukgaon, and Lakhipather, alleged that certain leaders of local organizations, including some journalists operating under the banner of a previously unknown entity called the ‘Unemployed Union of Digboi,’ secured approximately 33 percent of the initial civil works.
This reportedly followed a meeting held in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia on March 29, 2025.
The youths further alleged that this work has been syndicated by a few individuals on a commission basis in the name of the Unemployed Union of Digboi, thereby depriving a larger number of deserving unemployed individuals.
Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia reportedly took cognizance of alleged syndication in the work following complaints from some student organizations.
The issue was recently addressed by dividing the work among three groups, including the aforementioned ‘Unemployed Union of Digboi,’ whose legitimacy is now being questioned.
“Do the four student organizations and a handful of media persons constitute the genuine unemployed youths of Digboi?” questioned Lakhinder Hasda, an educated youth from Powai, expressing concern about the narrowing definition of unemployed youths considered during the work allocation.
The disgruntled youths urged the relevant authorities to establish clear and transparent procedures and disclose the parameters followed during the work allocation process after the district administration’s intervention.
Separately, the Journalists Union of Digboi, led by president Binanda Konwar and secretary Rajesh Upadhyay, submitted a memorandum on Friday evening, signed by members of the Digboi media fraternity. The memorandum highlighted the escalating tensions arising from the grievances of the deprived youths.
This critical matter has also been formally brought to the attention of the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia, local MLA Suren Phukan, Assam’s Minister of Industries and Commerce Bimal Bora, and the Chairman of Indian Oil, seeking their immediate intervention to de-escalate the potentially volatile situation for the larger benefit of society.