Under the leadership of Binay Kumar Singh alias Binu Singh and Prabhat Das Gupta a two hour long dharna was staged at NH-75 at Dubiya Kharn under the banner of Jharkhand Andolankari Samanweeai Samiti (JASS) for the ousted people of the Mandal dam. The dharna on NH-75 created traffic too as hundreds of vehicles were left stranded, said the sources.
The Sadar SDO Bindeshwari Tatma reached the dharna location on NH 75 and after brief dialogue there with Binu Singh and Das Gupta got the NH 75 cleared of the dharns being staged there by men and women in hundreds.
The SDO Tatma said the copy of demands as submitted to him would be reached the State Government through the DC Palamu Pooja Singhal.
According to Binu Singh the Mandal dam ousted 664 families. He added there came no relief and rehabilitation package. The 664 oustees were left to fend for themselves. The Monday’s dharna was on these two issues.
However what is most striking is that Mandal dam issue is more than three decades old and the ousting of families came in the late seventies and early eighties and now in the year 2013 the demand for compensation and rehabilitation has been made so vigorously by holding a stretch of NH 75 to a virtual halt.
Asked for this so old a case to be so highlighted to which Binu Singh said the displaced are now a miserable lot and these people want to be heard and on Monday by this exhibition of solidarity their demand will reach the right place in the Government. Binu Singh further added the selection of Dubiya Kharn has been done deliberately as this place is two forked one going to national Park Betla which falls under latehar district and theother is NH 75 Ranchi to Uttar Pradesh road via Daltonganj.