Gaighat:

The Udayapur Cement Factory, which had been locked for 10 days, reopened on Monday.

The factory was reopened after an all-party meeting decided to address issues raised by the locals.

Blaming the factory for causing pollution in a dozen villages in the vicinity, including Sripur, Bhaluwardha, Deuri, Bagaha, locals had launched a protest against the from February 23. They had also put forth a 20-point demand to the factory.

The factory agreed to set up a fund by allocating Rs 2 per sack of Gainda brand cement and provide machineries free of cost for development works in pollution-hit areas.