Mining operations at Gua mines of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) came to a standstill for 12 hours on Monday as villagers led by 12 traditional village heads (mundas) resorted to an indefinite blockade demanding recruitment of 500 local unemployed youths in the company, people close to the development said on Monday.
The blockade that started at 4 AM on Monday, was, however, lifted around 4.30 PM after a meeting initiated by block welfare officer Vinod Kumar agreed to hold a tripartite meeting on May 5 on the issue.
“The SAIL management has given a written undertaking that a tripartite meeting will be held with Manki Munda Sangh of SAIL CSR command areas and district administration on May 5. The meeting will discuss and resolve the issues of employment of 500 local youths, pollution control and other welfare issues. Subsequently, we have withdrawn our Chakka Jam today,” Laghuri Deogam, Saranda Peedh Munda, told the media on Monday.
Earlier, SAIL general manager (HR) Praveen Kumar Singh, DGM (CSR) Anil Kumar and Amit Tirkey had reached the blockade site and held a meeting with the Sangh but failed to convince the agitators.
SAIL officials had proposed to hold meeting every month and appoint 2-3 youths every month but the agitators rejected it.
The agitators were on hunger strike for the past 72 hours and their movement got the much-needed impetus after former Jharkhand CM and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Madhu Koda joined it on April 16 , wherein he had warned of a blockade from April 20.
The villagers blocked all roads, loading points, size scree area, zero point and key locations from early morning 4 AM, throwing production and dispatch completely out of gear. SAIL employees couldn’t even enter the company premises while traffic and transportation was completely blocked in and around Gua.
Tensions heightened and situation nearly escalated on a few occasions when police tried to pacify the agitators amid heavy deployment of police forces at the blockade sites.
