Bokaro Steel City shuts down over man’s death in lathicharge, production stopped

BOKARO: Massive street protest over permanent jobs and death of a man in a CISF lathicharge, shut down Bokaro steel city on Friday, bringing steel production to grinding halt at its plant resulting in production loss of 13,400 tonnes of hot metal in 24 hours.Police arrested chief general manager (CGM) of Bokaro Steel Limited, Hari Mohan Jha, for allegedly failing to respond effectively to the protest that escalated into violence and death of a protester. They also detained Bokaro MLA Shwettaa Singh of Congress from the protest site even as the district administration imposed Section 163 of the BNSS.The Visthapit Apprentice Sangh, a union of thousands of dependents of those displaced by the BSL plant founded in 1964, has been demanding jobs for years.Trouble broke out after a youth from the displaced family, Prem Kumar Mahato, 24, died of head injuries sustained in the baton charge late on Thursday, resulting in a Bokaro bandh, with displaced workers union demanding action against BSL and CISF personnel, responsible for attacking their ‘peaceful' protest.Witnesses said it was mayhem on the streets of Bokaro, one of India's first planned cities that started in 1960s, as 5000 strong protesters under the banner of Visthapit Apprentice Sangh (VAS) laid siege to the gates of Bokaro Steel Limited an outside, protesting the death of one of its members.Angry protesters set fire to five vehicles, including three buses apart from setting shops ablaze. Many roads across the steel city remained blocked, and shops were shut down.Some protesters dug a canal in Tenughat Dam, raising fears of disrupting water supplies to Bokaro city.The plant was effectively sealed, with the gates of Bokaro Steel Plant blocked, preventing movement of employees."With all gates blocked, around 5,000 workers have been stuck inside the plant for over 30 hours, many without adequate food or water. All five blast furnaces, along with major production units like the coke oven, sinter plant, steel melting shop (SMS), and hot strip mill, have been completely shut down," said Manikant Dhan, chief of communications at BSL."Our employees are doing their best under extreme conditions, but if the situation persists, it could pose a serious threat to both the plant and the city," he added.BSL supplies various grades of steel to Indian naval warships, railway wagons, LPG cylinders, automobiles and electronic goods among others.The 'Bokaro Bandh,' called by displaced locals, was supported by political leaders, including Bokaro MLA Shwettaa Singh and Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto, bringing the city to a standstill.Demonstrators barricaded major intersections, including Jodhadih Turn, Ukrid Moad, and the Telmocho Bridge in Chas, while shouting slogans against the BSL management.Over 1500 people from among the displaced families were trained as apprentices by the BSL in three phases over the last nine years but they have not been employed.The agitators contend that due to the delay, several of the trained apprentices are now overage and would lose an opportunity to be employed.According to BSL sources, the plant suffered a production loss of around 13,400 tonnes of hot metal within the last 24 hours, translating to a financial setback worth several crores of rupees.SAIL Chairman Amarendu Prakash is closely monitoring the situation, while the Union steel ministry has been officially informed, officials said. With BSL's director In-charge, Birendra Kumar Tiwary, currently in Delhi, executive directors are handling the crisis on the ground.In a bid to quell the rising anger, deputy commissioner Vijaya Jadhav Rao ordered the formation of a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the events of April 3, including the death of a member of the displaced union."The committee, headed by sub-divisional officer Pranjal Dhanda, includes DSP (city) and executive magistrate Jaya Kumari. They have been tasked with reviewing CCTV footage, media reports, and other evidence to provide a detailed report," said Dhan.BSL also made frantic attempts to pacify the demonstrators and announced a compensation package of Rs 20 lakh for Mahato's family, along with a contract job for one family member. They also assured to pay Rs 10,000 to those injured during the clash.However, the promises failed to cut ice with protesters and the imbroglio continued till late evening."The protest will continue until justice is received. There is a lot of anger among local people after this incident, and accountability should be fixed with the BSL management," said Sunil Kumar of VAS.