Joda: Resentment is brewing among the locals over lack of jobs in the mining sector in Joda area of Keonjhar district.
According to reports, locals had earlier got assurance from Katamati iron ore mine at Murgabeda about jobs.
However, locals of five panchayats — Deojhar, Anseikala, Kandara, Biriskala and Chamakpur were upset over lack of job opportunities in local industrial and mining units. Hundreds of people held a meeting over the issue and accused the mine authorities of reneging on their promise. They deliberated on their demands.
Locals had staged protests for 11 days from January 23, 2020, over the issue.
They alleged that the administration and the mine authorities had paid no attention to the demands of the agitating people.
Protesting the alleged apathy, the villagers had stalled mineral transportation from Katamati mine February 4. That day, police forces were deployed in the area.
The next day, the police arrested 33 villagers who were part of the agitation. Police had then assured the villagers that they will talk to the mine authorities about the job issue and sort it out.
Later, the villagers approached the police several times in this regard, but to no avail. Rather the police were accused of threatening the villagers with arrest.
The villagers alleged that some influential persons from Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were engaged in mineral transportation. At the instruction of these influential persons, a few local political leaders have been threatening the tribals against carrying out agitation, alleged Krushnachandra Gagarai, secretary of Senyan Maskal Akada, a local tribal outfit.
The locals have now decided to take up the issue with the Collector and the SP.
PNN