JMM has announced to withdraw the indefinite blockade on the 100-metre NH-33 stretch from Dimna Square to Baharagora giving a relief to the commuters.
JMM central spokesperson and Baharagora MlA Kunal Sarangi, said that the decision to withdraw the blockade was taken on Thursday night after State Road Construction Department principal secretary Rajbala Verma aksed the officials to hold talk with JMM leader and Seraikela MlA Champai Soren at Jadugoda.
“We have decided to withdraw agitation after the State road construction department gave us an assurance that NH-33 repair work would commence from May 15 as per the tender process. We welcome the move but we have made it very clear to the State road construction department officials that the stretch should be repaired by June 15 as it would be difficult to travel on this road during monsoon,” said Kunal Sarangi.
He, however, added that if the stretch is not repaired before June 15 then they would renew their agitation.
“As part of our next agitation, more than 50,000 party activists would form a human chain for nearly 250 km (distance between Baharagora to Ranchi) and would court arrest as part of the Jail Bharo Andolan and also launch an indefinite blockade. We will not compromise with this issue as people are suffering from the pathetic condition of the road,” said Sarangi.
The JMM leaders also decided to withdraw agitation after the East Singhbhum district administration agreed to their condition of not lodging any case against any of the activists arrested during the yesterday’s agitation.
On Thursday JMM activists had put up blockade by deflating tyres and taking off keys of vehicles and squatting on the roads at Dimna Square, Galudih, Ghatshila, Dhalbhumgarh Jagannathpur (near NH-6 and connecting State with Bengal) and Baharagora (connecting State with Odisha).
“The State Government is responsible for poor road condition. Jamshedpur is CM’s home town but travelling to the city from Ranchi is a nightmare for commuters," said a JMM leader. He demanded that necessary initiatives should be taken to ensure proper repair of the NH between Ranchi and Baharagora, at the earliest. He threatened that his party would again stage a similar blockade on the highway if demands were not met. "We will monitor things in the next one month. If things fail to improve we would be compelled to take up a violent agitation, " said the leader.