Joda: The protest by the villagers of Unchabali in Keonjhar against Maa Kuanri Transport entered the fourth day Tuesday.
As the transport firm run by the supporters of Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud was locked, hundreds of truckers who had been operating through the firm are facing a difficult time without getting mineral transportation contracts, a report said.
The truckers turn up at the agency office with mineral challans every day, but have to return as the firm’s employees are absent.
The truckers alleged that the stalemate continued for the fourth day, but the partners of the firm or the MLA’s supporters and the administration have not come forward to settle it.
Locals pointed out that problems will worsen for transporters in coming days unless impasse is resolved soon.
The villagers of Unchabli led by youth leader Sanjay Barik have been staging a protest in front of the transport agency’s office and had locked its gate since January 8.
The villagers had sought accounts of the business done by Maa Kuanri Transport and the Chaturbhuja Development Committee in the last 12 years. The villagers claimed that they too are partners in the two entities.
They said they had paid money to the MLA by mortgaging jewellery and land as he had promised mineral transport deals from the nearby Indrani Patnaik Mines for them, but finally they were defrauded.
They pointed out that a mining company had paid lakhs to the committee for building roads, providing healthcare, school bus service, safe drinking water and electricity, but nothing was done.
Locals like Sanjay Barik, Satyabrat Pradhan, Shantilata Rout, Aparna nayak, Kamala Mahakud, Parbati Nayak, Biranchi Nayak, Mahendra Nayak, Bhimsen Barik, Mahendra Maji and Amin Nayak demanded detailed statements of accounts from the company for the last 12 years.
PNN