Eight bauxite mines of lohardaga and Gumla, including 6 mines run by Hindalco, have been sealed. More than 10,000 people would be affected directly or indirectly by the closure.
As per sources Rs 6 lakh was the revenue of the Government per day from mining in the area. A total of 2,500 permanent staff and 3,000 temporary staff were serving here.Four hundred trucks are engaged in transportation work. After the sealing of the mines the livelihood of the truck owners, drivers, co-drivers, loaders, unloaders, tire shops, hotels, dhabas and many others would be at the loose end. The common people as well as the company situated at Muri would also be affected.
After the release of a notification of the Central Government on July 18, 2014, the State Government through an order closed the mines of Bagdu, Bhushadh, Hisri (old), Hisri (new), Pakhar, Serengdag-B, PS Garg and OP Gupta. Hundred and fifteen trucks plying for Bagdu, Hisri, Bhushadh, 40 trucks for Pakhar, and 60 trucks for Pakhar mines have been stopped.
As per the information from these mines after the sealing of the bauxite extraction a total of 5,000 tonnes of transportation have been done by these trucks till now. The first renewal was done at time derived by Hindalco Mining Department lohardaga. After that the demand renewal used to be under MCR Act A (6). For the second renewal Hindalco Company had submitted the application to the State Government through the Mining department.
Due to the apathetic attitude of the State Government, the Central Government had released an order to seal the mines, it is alleged.BK Jha, joint president of Hindalco management, said, “After the order of the Government all the mines run by the company have been sealed. The company wishes that the matter should be solved without delay so that our livelihood would not be affected.”
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Deepak Sarraf said, “The economy of the area would be affected by the sealing of these mines.”