KORAPUT: Unease prevailed in Koraput’s Semiliguda as women members of Maliparbat Surakhya Samiti forcibly stopped construction of a road leading to the bauxite mines here on Monday.
Protesting construction of the road, the agitators stopped the earthmover engaged in work. Zilla Parishad member of Semiliguda Mohan Jani said on the pretext of installing mobile towers in the area, an agency started constructing the road. “When we took up the matter with the administration, neither the police nor the local tehsildar revealed the name of the agency carrying out the road construction,” he alleged.
Sources said on behalf of Hindalco, Mythri Infrastructure and Mining company was constructing the road to Maliparbat mines. A leader of Koraputia Jana Surakhya Sangha said the bauxite mines of Maliparbat have been leased to Hindalco Ltd by the government.
However, people residing near Maliparbat have been protesting the proposed bauxite mining. “Since the matter is under sub-judice in the High Court, no activities should be carried out in the area,” he said. In September last year, 28 villagers were arrested for allegedly vandalising the public hearing venue at Kankadaamba in protest. A large posse of policemen has been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.