Maoists warn tribals against working in Surjagarh iron ore mine

NAGPUR: Senior members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in Gadchiroli, Raghu and Giridhar, have warned tribals of 13 villages under Pursalgondi gram panchayat in Etapalli tehsil against working at the Surjagarh mines bordering Chhattisgarh

NAGPUR: Senior members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in Gadchiroli, Raghu and Giridhar, have warned tribals of 13 villages under Pursalgondi gram panchayat in Etapalli tehsil against working at the Surjagarh mines bordering Chhattisgarh. Presently, around 3,500 locals, most of them tribals, are working in the mines.

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Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited (LMEL) was already operating an iron ore mine in the tribal-dominated district and is setting up a steel plant at Ashti. It would be the first major industry in Gadchiroli, a no-industry district in the state.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the guardian minister for the district, claimed that the Surjagarh iron ore site has a potential to get investment of over ₹35,000 crore in mining and other sectors and offers a potential to create around 35,000 jobs.

The iron ore found there is of top class, but due to Maoist threats and other factors, investors shied away from coming there. Some 145 years ago, Jamshedji Tata scouted Vidarbha region and was so enamoured of its mineral wealth that he wanted to make Surjagarh the site of his steel venture. However, the absence of a railway line and the cold shoulder by the government of the day saw Vidarbha missing the big opportunity. Subsequently, Jamshedpur (Tata Nagar) was chosen as the location for his steel plant. Now, the government is making all out efforts to start mining in a big way and there is huge potential for investment in the district.

According to available information, the CPI (Maoist) not only warned the tribals against working at the mining site, they also told the women workers to stop going to a sewing unit that was set up by the company as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

The officials of the mining unit said that they have witnessed a drastic fall in attendance following the threat. The ultra-left wing had asked the villagers that at least one member of each family should join the large-scale agitation being planned by them in coming days. It was learnt that the Maoists, who were facing allegations of accepting “protection money” from the company, have started opposing the project after the company declared the plan to increase extraction from 3 tonnes per year to 10 tonnes.

Meanwhile, Gadchiroli SP Neelotpal admitted that he too had received the input about the Maoist issuing threats to the villagers. The police too have started addressing the people during the ‘gram bhet’ (village visits) and briefing them about loss of livelihood and a steady income, Neelotpal said, adding that a strict vigil is being kept in the region.

The left-wing extremists had earlier distributed pamphlets and posters, including ones targeting local MLA Dharmaraobaba Atram and his family, voicing angst against the mining activities in Surjagarh. Atram, a former Maharashtra minister, was also kidnapped by the Red rebels in 90s. He was released by the then peoples’ war group of CPI (ML) after the state released a couple of hard-crore Maoists from the jail as a quid pro quo deal.