The State Government, to a great extent, runs on the revenue from mines. Mines are like the rice bowl for the Government. Those who used to stand guard at the rice bowl are now street beggars and Dadan labourers. In almost all the mines in Odisha, there is an automation boom—heavy equipment and gigantic machines engaged in works ranging from excavating pits to extracting minerals.
Mines are seen to be located, especially at forest regions which are home to the poor, the tribal and the deprived. Forests are felled in order to let mines operate. Moreover, mining displaces the tribals from their dwellings. They live in hutting and shanties and engage in whatever little jobs come in their way, said trade unionist Mayadhar Nayak.
“There was a time before 1980 that thousands of migrant labourers coming with their family from neighbouring States flooded the mines in Odisha. Mines were then being operated by the labour force. But now, for over 40 years, the monster of the machine has snatched their bread. As a result, nearly two crore workers have been sacked from the mines. A herd of 200 mines owners and contractors after amassing crores of money is ruling the State by confining ruling class and administrators to their payrolls,” said Nayak.
In order to get the machines thrown out of the mines, the labour unions of the Sukinda valley had started an irresistible movement. As a result, machines stopped operating in three mines of the region, namely, Kalarangi, Saruabil and Kamarda. But 10 other mines continued to engage machines as usual with the help of the labour leaders loyal to their owners, he said.
When the mines owners and contractors elsewhere found no threat from labour organizations, they, by and by, employed machines increasingly. Now hundreds of heavy machines and equipment are operating in mines everywhere, in Sukinda, Daitari, Kathapal, Boula, Gorumahisani, Barbil, Joda, Koida, Talcher, Angul and Sambalpur. Consequently, a mere 5 percent labour force engaged formerly in mines have jobs in mines, he said further.
“Most of the mine owners and contractors are from other States, today. In connivance with some labour officers, they dominate our State. The poor tribals deprived of their rights are seething in anger. They have been rendered redundant by this automation boom in mines and sit idly without any job at hand. The mines regions have been turned into poisonous valleys,” added Nayak
The families of the working class have been left in the lurch in diseases, famine and starvation. Nobody is there to lend an ear to their woes. The Department of Mines and Labour seem to be in deep slumber, he alleged.
