Demand for reopening of IMFA chromite mines in Odisha intensifies

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Anandpur (Keonjhar), Jan 22:

Protesting against the closure of the chromite mines of the Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) company at Boula under Anandpur sub-division in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, hundreds of labourers, under the banner of Boula Region Workers’ Union, gheraoed the office of the divisional forest officer (DFO) at Anandpur today.

Urging the Forest department to give permission for the reopening of the chromite mines, the labourers, led by their leaders, warned that the Union would resort to indefinite agitation if the department fails to grant permission in 15 days.

“While the Revenue and Mines departments have already submitted their reports with regard to reopening of the mines, the DFO office is yet to submit its joint verification report to its higher authorities as a result of which the plight of thousands of labourers has become miserable. Keeping this in mind, we have requested the DFO to make efforts to ensure the livelihood of these labourers,” said Benudhar Sahu, labour union leader.

“We have informed the DFO that if the Forest department fails to take immediate steps, about 10,000 labourers will stage indefinite hunger strike here till our demands are met. We don’t care if some of us die during the agitation; we are determined to get the mines reopened,” said Satrughna Sahu, another labour union leader.

Venting his ire on the lackadaisical attitude of the state government, Harihar Patra, another labour union leader, said if the state government and the local MLA have planned to preserve the wildlife and let the people of this area die without food, it would be a matter of utter regret and sorrow.

“We publicly protest such gross apathy of the government on this,” he added.

Talking to the media, Anandpur DFO Sangram Behera said the Forest department had informed the Union that the papers and maps of the mines and its adjacent areas it had submitted for processing was wrong.

“We have already asked the Union to submit a correct map of the mining area and its periphery,” he added.

He, however, said that he has informed the matter to his higher authorities and efforts would be made to fulfill the demands of the labourers.