Bhurkunda (Ramgarh): Opposition from local landowners, displaced families, and affected villagers has intensified following the start of outsourcing operations at the Sangam Open Cast Mine under the Bhurkunda Project. On Saturday, the Joint Displaced and Affected Front staged a massive protest over its six-point charter of demands, forcing the suspension of outsourcing work for several hours.
From early morning, hundreds of villagers and displaced residents from Deoriya Bargawan, Kurse, Balkudra, and Dunduwa revenue villages gathered at the mine site. Raising slogans against the CCL management, the protesters alleged that no concrete action had been taken despite submitting a six-point memorandum on May 4. Angered by the delay, the agitators stopped all outsourcing activities in the mine area.
Among the key demands of the front were jobs for displaced landowners in exchange for acquired land, proper compensation, and rehabilitation arrangements. The protesters also demanded 100 percent employment for local displaced unemployed youth in the outsourcing company operating at the Sangam mine and allocation of transportation work to the front.
The agitators further demanded the immediate commencement of the Bhurkunda Road Sale project for the benefit of the four revenue villages, allocation of Rs 1 crore annually for each village under CCL’s CSR scheme, and employment opportunities for local displaced people in the newly developed eco-park. They also urged the Patratu Circle Officer to conduct physical verification and issue identity cards to all displaced families.
As the situation turned tense, CCL officials, including SOM Ajay Kumar Singh, Sales Manager Avinash Chandra, and BLA Private Company Project Manager Surendra Kumar, intervened and held talks with the protesters. The officials assured the demonstrators that a tripartite meeting would be held at the PO office on May 19, following which the Joint Displaced and Affected Front called off its one-day protest.
Several leaders and villagers, including Sanjay Manjhi, Krishna Murmu, Santosh Manjhi, Rajendra Munda, Phuleshwar Ram, Jhari Munda, Rana Pratap Singh, Jaylal Singh, Rajaram Prasad, Ajay Sahu, Santosh Bedia, Mahavir Manjhi, Ramdas Manjhi, Raj Murmu, Rupalal Murmu, Narendra Bedia, Anand Bedia, Rajesh Mahto, Sunil Karmali, Vijay Munda, and many others, participated in the protest.