Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the northern city of Norilsk will not face the recent fate of another single-industry town, where residents blocked a major highway to draw attention to difficulties caused by the closure of three plants.

Last year, 300 residents of the town of Pikalyovo protested against the closure of its three core companies - BasEl Cement Pikalyovo, Metakhim cement plant and Pikalyovo Cement.

The problem was settled after Putin's visit to the troubled town. The premier visited a cement plant that had been closed and ordered that wage owed to workers be paid out. The payments were made on the same day, and the plant owners agreed to resume production.

"In Pikalyovo, the whole industrial complex was sliced into three parts, and each of them was unable to operate independently," Putin said.

He added that Norilsk was different as "it has been preserved as a united industrial complex, without any carve-ups".

Norilsk is at the centre of a conflict between the shareholders of the world's largest nickel producer, Norilsk Nickel. Vladimir Potanin and Oleg Deripaska have been fighting for control over the plant since the company's annual shareholders meeting in June. The oligarchs are in dispute over the number of board seats allocated after the board election, as well as management appointments.

NORILSK, August 31 (RIA Novosti)