Bhubaneswar: All efforts for commencement of Iron ore
transportation at Odisha Mining Corporation's(OMC) Suakati Gandhamardan iron ore mines has been failed
following stiff resistance from local people. The people are opposing OMC's
decision on loading and unloading through open tender.
Transportation
has been stopped from March 22 due to the resistance and the district
Administration and Police authorities had decided to open it on 27th
of August. But the continued opposition from local people lead by social and
political leaders have forced the management to stop it.
The locals are at loggerheads with the OMC
authorities for fulfilment of their demands like priority in employment and
iron ore transportation. The local people have alleged that OMC had assured
them to give local youths employment and give the local transporters priority
in iron ore transportation during the public hearing held for the expansion of
the mine. But the conflict triggered after OMC invited open bid for
transportation of iron ore. Even thousands of workers engaged in loading and
unloading have given their support to the local people.
The Gadhamardan mine is very crucial for
OMC's 2019-20 expansion plan, under which the miner has set a target to
increase iron ore production level to 20-25 million tonnes per annum. The Gandhamardan mines has statutory limit for
production upto 9 MnTPA, but OMC have not reached the production level of 3.5
MnTPA. Now the company is looking to increase the production level in 4 to 5
years. The miner has engaged MECON as its consultant for this.
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