CMRL: TU members to hold secretariat march

Demanding that the authorities should immediately implement the order issued to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) at Aluva to procure minerals, members of the Standing Council of Trade Unions will take out a march to the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Demanding that the authorities should immediately implement the order issued to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) at Aluva to procure minerals, members of the Standing Council of Trade Unions will take out a march to the Secretariat on Wednesday.

The ‘Save CMRL’ movement, which is expected to see the participation of all prominent trade unions, will be inaugurated by CITU state general secretary Elamaram Kareem.

“Even though we have mineral deposits in Kerala that would last 300 years, insufficient measures are being taken to procure the minerals.

“Also, even though the IRE (a public sector undertaking of the Central Government) was given the responsibility to provide ilmenite to CMRL, it has not given a single grain of ilmenite in the past one year. The CMRL is facing huge financial losses. If it closes down, 1,500 employees will be left in the lurch,” said K N Gopinath, district secretary, CITU, a press conference here.

The CMRL was started by the government with the aim to export ore and receive huge financial benefits in the form of foreign currency as well as leading to the betterment of the state and Central governments’ treasury.

“If the company does not get ilmenite, export of minerals will become a major issue. The government should ensure that the 2004 order which was issued to CMRL at Aluva to procure minerals is implemented as soon as possible,” Gopinath added.

Meanwhile, the trade union leaders demanded that a CBI probe be made into mineral smuggling rampant in the state.

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