THOUSANDS OF sand mine workers of the Yamuna basin observed a one-day strike on Monday and held a protest demonstration at the Collectorate against the administration’s attempts to impose use of machines in the sand mining work and failure to solve the problems raised by the sand mine workers.
Sounds of slogans like ‘Down with Mulayam Singh Govt’, ‘Stop snatching workers’ employment’, ‘Down with mafia rule’, ‘Stop uprooting workers from sand mining’, ‘Stop use of machines in mining minor minerals’, ‘Implement rules’, ‘Stop collection of royalty illegally’, etc filled the air.
Repeated complaints by All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) to the district magistrate to solve these problems have fallen on deaf ears and with help of mines office and local police, the mafia is having a free time in harming employment and ecology, says a press release issued by AIKMS secretary VP Patel on Monday.
It says despite the administration’s claims that no machines are being allowed to operate, one machine was installed at Baswar village by Dwarika and others and when the workers went to remove it they were fired at by the goons of the mafia.
Complaints were made to the CO and the district administration but to no avail.
{{/usCountry}}Complaints were made to the CO and the district administration but to no avail.
{{/usCountry}}Addressing the gathering, AIMKS national secretary Com Ashish Mittal, district general secretary Suresh Chandra, Heeralal, district president Dashrath Nishad, VP Patel, Ram Kailash Kushwaha, Babbu Nishad, Ram Asrey and Sahiblal Nishad have threatened that if the officials do not put an end to the illegalities, the workers will be forced to intensify their agitation, the consequences of which will lie squarely on the government and the local administration. Former Judge and ex MLA Bhawant Prasad also addressed the gathering.