Nearly 650 Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) employees and their family members, including 110 women, were arrested today when they attempted to stage a ’rail roko’ as part of their agitation demanding immediate revival of the sick public sector unit.

The agitators, including a few leaders of major political parties, trade unions and NGOs, wanted the Centre to immediately implement the revival package announced by it some years ago, the police said.

As they marched towards the station to block the Coonoor-bound train, raising slogans in support of their demand, they were taken into custody for defying a ban against the protest, the police said.

All those detained had been accommodated in a marriage hall. They are likely to be released this evening.

The employees of HPF, the only integrated manufacturer of photo sensitised goods in the whole of South East Asia, have stepped up protests to draw the attention of both the Centre and Tamil Nadu governments on the need to revive the unit.

They had staged a one-day fast last week.

The unit is almost on the verge of closure for the last one decade and a revival package was proposed following the intervention of then telecom minister, A Raja, representing Nilgiris in Lok Sabha. However, it was later rejected by the Centre.

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