ROURKELA | Jun 12, 2016: While SAIL’s efforts to mechanise its mining operations in Koida mining circle of Sundargarh district faced stiff resistance from Left union CITU, villagers of Taldihi and neighbourhood areas have started protesting against the ‘obstructionist ways’ of the union.
On Wednesday, villagers of nearby localities, led by Dengula Sarpanch JM Topno, Tantra Village Committee president Duryodhan Naik, Tensa Youth Samiti president and former Panchayat Samiti member Rajendra Mishra staged a demonstration in front of Barsuan Iron Mine (BIM) office in protest against the CITU.
While CITU argues that local tribals have no other alternative than to work in mines, a section of villagers view that mechanised mining is required to meet the growing iron ore requirement of SAIL’s integrated steel plants, particularly for Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and to boost economic development.
SAIL sources said that under its Mining Lease (ML)-130, SAIL has mining surface area of 2,482 hectare (ha) covering the existing BIM and Kalta Iron Mine (KIM), while the fresh Taldihi iron block is being developed for mechanised mining. Against future target to produce 4.25 MTPA from Taldihi Iron Mine (TIM), SAIL aims to produce one MTPA in 2016-17 and switch over to departmental mining operation in 2017-18.
On June 6, more than 400 CITU activists rushed to the TIM site and broke windowpanes of two earth moving equipment engaged in developing the site. Work started after villagers came in support of SAIL. A senior Raw Materials Division official said compared to mechanised mining, the cost of production doubles in manual mining. A 550-tonne-per-hour crusher unit is also being set up near Taldihi, he added. With SAIL suffering a net loss of `4,137 crore and RSP’s share being `1,964 crore, the steel major is under compulsion to shed economically unviable ways. CITU’s National vice-president Bishnu Mohanty justified the union’s stand and said, “We will not allow mechanised mining at the cost of poverty-stricken local tribal people who have no other livelihood options than to work in mines.”
(Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/)