Displaced youths threatened to hold an economic blockade of Bokaro Steel Plant for January 7, 2021. The youths have also decided to block the Administrative Building’s gate from 29 to 31 December under Vistaphit Sanyukta Morcha's banner.
Alleging that BSL management is adopting the apathetic attitude in providing jobs and compensation to the displaced people Niwaran Digar, president of Vistaphit Sanyukta Morcha, said, “We have called economic blocked of the plant which will stats from 7 January 2021.”
“Transportation of any type of raw materials and manufactured products form and to the plant will be completely stopped during this period,” he added.
Digar said, due to the management's erroneous policy, displaced were forced to run from pillar to post in search of employment, he said, adding, “This is the apathetic attitude of the management towards the displaced.”
We have decided to hold stepwise protests. On 28 December, the displaced will come out with a torch rally. Later from 1 to 3 January, we will surround the Director-in-charge’s bungalow; the plant's gate will be jammed on 5 and 6 January, said Digar.
He said, despite the High Court order, BSL management is not on the move to return the vacant land to them. He alleged that management is adopting an apathetic attitude in providing jobs and compensation to the displaced people.
According to the displaced people, BSL management promised earlier to solve their issues. There were several rounds of ‘Talk’ between management and the group, but they failed to solve it.
“Demanding jobs we have launched several agitations earlier include— ‘Jal Satyagrah’, ‘Brikshawas Satyagraha’ and ‘Agani Satyagraha’ but all goes in vain,” said Anil Mahato a youth.
“At the time of acquiring our lands to set up the plant, the company had promised us to provide jobs to 24,000 identified displaced people; now failed from their promise,” he alleged. “We will step up our agitation if our demand is not met,” said Sunita, another displaced person. She also threatens to hold a massive demonstration.
Notably, most of the displaced groups are demanding jobs from BSL in bulk while the management has declared that it has already provided jobs to about 16,000 displaced people earlier, a BSL official said.