Coal mine office besieged again for compensation
Affected villagers under the banner of Bhumi O Sampad Rakkha Committee demonstrate in front of the gate of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd in Dinajpur district yesterday demanding early compensation to the victims of land subsidence caused by underground mining. Photo: STAR
Villagers around Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) again besieged the office of the company yesterday demanding compensation for subsidence caused by the underground mining. Hundreds of land subsidence affected villagers gathered in front of Barapukuria coalmine gates at about 11:30am yesterday, forcing the officials and employees of BCMCL to stay inside office as of filling this report in the evening. The affected people started the agitation programme for 'indefinite period' as the BCMCL authorities failed to meet their demands as per assurance given during a similar programme on July 19, said the agitators. "We will continue our agitation and go for greater movement if BCMCL authorities fail to meet our demands," said Md Mokhlesar Rahman, president of Bhumi O Sampad Rakkha Committee. The demands include compensation for damages of infrastructures of 15 villages due to underground mining, jobs for affected villagers and land compensation for affected villagers. A large number of police have been deployed in and around the BCMCL to avert any untoward incident. The agitating villagers also held a rally in front the gate of residential area of the coalmine. Speakers at the rally said their demands have remained unmet although BCMCL authorities have been given enough time for the purpose. Earlier on March 10 this year, the affected villagers went on a hunger strike to press home their demands for compensation for subsidence and resettlement of the victims. They called off the strike after 54 hours following assurance from the authorities concerned that compensation would be given to the affected villagers by March 30 but their demands remain unmet till date, the speakers said. The affected villages include Kalupara, Bolorampur, Baidyanathpur, Barapukuria and Moupukur. The villagers launched agitation programme in January this year as the BCMCL authorities failed to make any progress to meet the villagers' demands according to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in May last year, sources said. According to the MoU, the BCMCL would pay compensation for loss of land at a premium price to around 2,400 affected people of seven villages around the mine. Subsidence in the BCMCL project area was first detected in May 2006, which so far affected at least 646 acres of land around the BCMCL, sources said. When contacted, BCMCL Managing Director Md Quamruzzaman said, "It is not possible to provide the compensation before completion of the land survey which is now going on." Earlier on July 19, another committee Jibon O Sampad Rakkha Committee started an indefinite besiege programme demanding compensation for subsidence due to underground mining. During the daylong agitation, the compensation seekers went on rampage outside the BCMCL complex and cut down conveyer belt that enables BCMCL to carry coal to 250MW coal-fired power plant. Later the BCMCL repaired the belt. However, the agitators called off the programme the same day as the authority gave assurance to meet their demands. Meanwhile, the coal production of BCMCL has remained suspended since May 11 this year when an accident inside the mine left one person killed and 18 others including two Chinese miners wounded.
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