Truck owners and members of Keonjhar Truck Owners’ Association (KTOA) protested a proposed railway line from Gandhamardan Iron Ore mines to Gohalidihi railway station.
The Railways has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the rail line project to transport minerals from the mines to different areas. “If the project comes up, then thousands of truck owners of Keonjhar district will be unemployed, the KTOA members said.
"Thousands of truck owners of Keonjhar district depend on trucks as their only source of livelihood. Hence, we strongly oppose this. We gave a memorandum to the Collector for the interests of truck owners,” said former general secretary KTOA Pradip Barik.
The KTOA organised a Press meet and narrated how they will face difficulties if the project comes up.
Besides that, they said that due to the delay in the election of KDTOA, the member truckers are facing difficulties. They urged the Inspector General of Registrar (IGR) to conduct election within the proposed period set by the Orissa High Court.
“The association can raise the problems of the truckers and solve them accordingly. Due to the delay in formation of the body of KTOA, the problems of the truckers could not be resolved. Due to lack of proper initiation taken by the earlier body, the pipeline work to transport minerals is in full swing. Now if we allow the railway line to transport minerals then it will be a big problem for us. If the election is conducted, then the new body could raise the railway issue," “said truck owner Ayashkanta Pattanayak.
According to them, due to the intervention of some of the members, the election of KTOA was not conducted. Later, after the intervention of IGR, the election is going to be held shortly. But due to non-co-operation of the earlier body to provide all documents to conduct election to the IGR, uncertainty clouded over the election. "Hence we urge the IGR and Collector, Keonjhar to take steps to conduct the election peacefully for which all the truckers will be benefitted,” said former president, KTOA Ramchandra Bhuyan.