JAJPUR: Transportation of chromite ore from Kaliapani mines has come to a grinding halt for the last five days due to the strike by Sukinda Minerals Truck Owners’ Association over lax enforcement of the first-come-first-loading system.
Chromite supply from Dakhina Kaliapani and Sukarangi mines of Odisha Mining Corporation, Sukinda and Saruabil-Kamarda mines of Tata Steel Mining, Ostapal of Vedanta, Kalarangi Atta of Facor and Sukinda and Mahagiri mines of IMFA in Sukinda Chromite Valley has suffered a massive hit due to the strike.
An agitating trucker said as per the first-come-first-loading system, the truck waiting ahead in the queue is supposed to get token first to go for loading in the mines. “But many security and police personnel deployed at parking yards of the mines provide tokens to trucks which are not in the queue by taking money from them. These personnel charge Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per truck to facilitate loading,” he alleged.
The association said it had earlier brought this corrupt practice to the notice of the local administration. However, it yielded no result. On Friday, Kalinga Nagar ADM Santosh Mishra and Jajpur Road DDM (Mines) Bibhuti Bhusan Behera reached the protest site and held discussion with the agitating truckers. Till reports last came in, there has been no breakthrough in the impasse.
Notably, the Jajpur administration had enforced the first-come-first-loading system three years back in a bid to streamline chromite transportation at Sukinda Chromites Valley. The administration had directed all mining explorers and transporters to strictly adhere to the system following the order of the Orissa High Court.