ROURKELA: Protesting the lack of adequate railway rakes at sidings, thousands of workers under the banner of CITU paralysed rail transportation of iron ores in Koida Mining Circle (KMC) of Sundargarh district on Tuesday.
Led by Bonai MLA of CPM Laxman Munda, the agitators closed all the six railway sidings in Koida demanding availability of adequate rakes. While Munda and senior Left trade union leaders staged protest at Bimlagarh railway siding, other CITU activists took charge of the sidings at Roxy, Renjda, Patasahi, Barsuan and Chandiposh.
Due to the protest, transportation of iron ores through Rourkela-Barsuan route of South Eastern Railway (SER) remained fully disrupted on the day. The Rourkela-Barsuan railway route is chiefly used for transportation of iron ores and other minerals from KMC and nearby connected mines.
The MLA claimed around 15,000 workers engaged in loading and unloading at the six sidings have been rendered jobless due to unavailability of railway rakes. The situation has worsened in the past one year with the SER diverting almost all railway rakes to coal mining areas for priority transportation of coal.
Munda further said the SER should provide at least seven rail rakes daily to each of the six sidings so that the workers engaged on daily wage basis earn enough to sustain their families.
Normalcy restored in the evening after SER authorities in presence of district officials and police assured to provide adequate railway rakes for bulk transportation of iron ores and other minerals from KMC.
CITU national vice-president Bishnu Mohanty said if the SER fails to keep its word, the workers would intensify the agitation.
On October 22 last year, thousands of agitating workers led by CITU had forcefully entered the office of Segasahi iron mines of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd in KMC over various demands including jobs to locals. Similarly on January 10 this year, workers led by CITU had ransacked the mining office of JSW at Narayanposh in Koida.