Jharkhand Mazdoor Sabha (Jhamas) organized a one-day dharna on 18 September 2015 in front of the Barka-Sayal area’s Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) GM’s office situated in the Ramgarh coal sector. The dharna was organized to demand- (i) appropriate compensation for the raiyyat displaced, (ii) employment in lieu of land acquisition, (iii) employment for unemployed youth, (iv) starting a local cell, among various other demands. Hundreds of people including displaced families from within a range of 25 km of the Barka-Sayal area, local women, men and youth participated in the dharna.
Speakers who addressed the dharna said that coal mining is being done through outsourcing in Balkudra colliery. Bhurkunda which comes under the GM, Barka-Sayal, and the villagers’ lands have been taken for this purpose. However, the villagers have not got appropriate compensation and they have also not been rehabilitated. With the connivance of brokers and the coal mafia, the CCL management is getting the coal mining done by any means, fair or foul. Even a local cell is not being opened in this project for the local unemployed people. As a result, the local people and the affected families are forced to work as contractual labour. They are not paid the minimum wages as fixed by the government. Employment can be given on a large scale and migration of youth to other states can be prevented by starting a local cell. But the CCL management shows no interest in starting a cell. The rural unemployed are angered at this attitude of the management and by staging this dharna they have warned the management that if the displaced villagers are denied employment they will be forced to fight for their rights.
On the other hand, the CCL are bound by CSR rules to develop rural areas coming within a range of 25 km of Barka-Sayal. They must make arrangements for roads, electricity, clean drinking water, schools, toilets, irrigation, medical facilities, and professional training for unemployed youth. However, there is lack of transparency in this and CCL is misusing funds allocated for this purpose. The company is creating very few vacant posts in the name of giving professional training. Recently they brought out only 25 vacancies for mining engineering training which makes for an extremely small number. Thus the project affected people are being cheated. People have been displaced in large numbers in 14 districts of CCL. If CCL does not solve the issue of their employment and livelihood, a chakka jam will be done in front of the CCL in days to come.A delegation from Jhamas also met the personnel officers of Barka-Sayal area and submitted a 7 point memorandum to them.