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Gigantic mining
contracts have been signed with the comprador big bourgeois companies and TNCs
to rob the country of our natural wealth and evict the local dwellers, mostly
Adivasis. In just the last one year the gigantic sum of Rs.3 lakh crores of MoUs
have been signed by these companies with the governments of Orissa, Jarkhand and
Chhathisgarh alone. And this is chiefly in the sphere of iron ore and steel;
other minerals too are being targeted.
In Jharkhand two huge
MoUs have been signed with the Mittals (NRI) and the Jindals in just the past
two months. The Mittals deal was worth Rs.40,000 crores and with the Jindals it
was for Rs.35,000 crores. Both are for setting up steel plants to rob the iron
ore and coal of the state. Mittal plans to mine iron ore at three blocks at
Ajitaburu, Sukri and Dhobil. It will produce 12 million tones of steel per year
and will be given gigantic subsidies from the Jharkhand govt. of Rs.6,500 crores
per year — which is almost equal to its entire state budget with revenue
receipts of Rs.6,944 crores (2004-05). The company has sought exemption from ALL
taxes and subsidies on interest on loans, capital investments as well as
contributions to PF and ESI. It has also demanded state government-owned land at
concessional rates. The Jindal’s 10 million tonne capacity plant will be located
near Hesalong in Saraikela Kharsawan. Besides this the Tatas have huge expansion
plans for its plant at Tatanagar. The Jharkhand government has already signed
MoUs for the production of an additional 42 million tones of steel per annum.
In Orissa 37 MoUs
have been signed including with the giant POSCO to set up steel plants to
produce 47.7 million tones of steel per annum. Together they would invest a
gigantic Rs.1,18,000 crores in Orissa.
The Chhathisgarh
government has signed MoUs worth Rs.60,000 crores. In Bastar alone MoUsfor
investment of Rs.17,000 crores have been signed this summer for the proposed
Tata and Essar (Ruias) steel plant.
Just one company,
Tata Steel, has plans to increase its production from the present 5 million
tones per annum to 25 million tones, entailing an investment of Rs.1 lakh crores.
In Jharkhand the plant is to come up at Manoharpur or Chandil. The total
expansion planned comes from the new 12 million tonne in Jarkhand of which a 5
million tonne expansion in Tatanagarn itself, a six million tonne project in
Orissa and a 5 million tonne plant in Chhathisgarh. In Chhathisgarh the Tatas
plan to get their iron ore from the Bailadilla and Rowghat mines.
The bulk of these
mining belts are in areas of Maoist influence. With such massive investments at
stake, big business and the government knows that only by the suppression of the
Naxalites there, they will be able to undertake their loot and make windfall
profits. This, ofcourse will be at the cost of tribals living in these belts.
All these development projects are achievable only at the cost of the
destruction of the tribal livelihood system. To make these area ‘safe’ for the
moneybags one can expect even more ruthless repression. But, the people will
fight back as shown by the tribals of DK! This big capital will be put into
operation dripping with the blood of the people. The police, para-military, army
will act as noting but the hatchet men of POSCO, Jindal, Mittal, Tata and
others. But of course this will all be done in the name of fighting ‘terrorism’
to be-fool the people of the country.
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