Intensifying an agitation pressing for a five-point charter of demands for development in Keonjhar district, a Joint Action Committee (JAC) has blocked rail and road transport of minerals from different mines in the district since April 2. The JAC had staged a dharana in front of the Collectorate in Keonjhar along with similar demonstrations staged at Champua and Anandpur in the last 54 days but none of their demands has been fulfilled yet.
Hence, the JAC and their supporters stopped mineral transportation by blocking mineral loaded trucks on road. Even, mineral goods trains were detained by the agitators in different stations. The JAC threatened the Government to go for a total economic blockade for an indefinite period from April 9 if its demands were not fulfilled. The demand of the JAC includes setting up of a mega steel plant, a Government medical college, a university, an agriculture university in Keonjhar and establishment of rail link to Champua and Anandpur. Only 13 iron and manganese mines out of 120 mines in Keonjhar district are presently working and most of the mineral raised from these mines are transported by rail. According to sources, mineral transport from Daitari region, Boula, Kiriburu and Bolani areas remained unaffected. Police forces were deployed in all areas of the district to maintain law and order.