By Bizodisha Bureau, Keonjhar / Bhubaneswar, April 4, 2015 :

Week long blockade of transportation of mineral resources declared by the “Kendujharia Meli” [KM] has brought mining to a grinding halt affecting supply of iron ore and coal primarily to steel and power plants in Odisha and other neighbouring states for second day to-day.

The KM’s joint action committee [JAC] has threatened to resort to indefinite economic blockade from April 9th next if their five-point charter of demands are not met with within the time frame. The demand of the JAC includes setting up of a mega steel plant, a government medical college, a university, an agriculture university in Keonjhar and Rail link to Champua and Anandpur.

About 5000 trucks were off the road and over 50000 workers engaged in loading, unloading and transporting are without any work to eke out a living.

What is shocking most is that the KM masterminded by a powerful and rich MLA at the behest of a mining company is virtually dictating the district administration, which has so far not taken any pro-active measure to break the impasse that has affected the livelihood of at least one lakh workers (transport, mining & quarrying and other service workers).

The Eastern railway is reported to have lost Rs 16 crore while power plants in south India have been affected without coal supply of coal.

Only 13 iron and manganese mines out of 120 mines in Keonjhar district are now operational and most of the minerals raised from these mines are transported by rail. However, transportation of minerals from Daitari region, Boula region, Kiriburu, Bolani area has remained unaffected. Police has been deployed in various parts of the district to maintain law and order.

The Meli’s joint action committee had earlier staged a dharana in front of the Collectorate in Keonjhar and other offices at Champua and Anandpur for last 54 days before resorting to blockade from Thursday affecting transportation of minerals on raod and rail routes.

A senior official admitted that the mining mafia has resorted to blockade to force the transporters, mining companies and end user Plants cough up more money to them.

The state’s own revenue generation has been badly affected with iron ore production coming down from 660 lakh MT in 2011-12 to 77.84 lakh MT in 2013-14. Revenue from mining has fallen from Rs.3079.77 crore to Rs.2348.89 crore during the period from April to October 14.

“Right to protest does not mean to Right to hit the Nation’s economy and Civic Rights. The Protesters have no right to block the movement of carrying mineral resources which are precious for Country’s life line to move on. Further any bundh / economic blockade is also illegal”, said an official bearer of MSME Association, Keonjhar.