Mines' closure, lack of jobs major issues in Jharkhand

The two issues that is expected to determine voter preferences in Jharkhand are the displacement of original inhabitants and unemployment among mine workers.

Oddly enough, the issues seem to have vanished from state's political strategists' vocabulary, irrespective of their party affiliations. But if the case of Hindustan Copper Ltd and mines attached to it is exhumed, the Musabani story can be telling.

"The Musabani mines in 11 sites in the Ghatshila constituency and adjoining areas could have been saved if the government had taken to open-cast mining," says a local expert.

Instead, excessive copper mining has depleted the reserves not only in Ghatshila but also in Jaunhi, Potka and Baharagora. The economy of the region, which was dependent on the mines, has suffered because of the phased closure of operations during 1999-2002.

Over 10,000 workers have lost their jobs or have opted for the voluntary retirement scheme. The factories are still operational, but the mines have become history. The history of the Ghatshila mines can be traced back to 2000 BC. According to legend, the region used to export copper to China.

But in the present, the closure of mines has become an issue for the Congress candidate and sitting MLA, Pradeep Balmuchu, particularly as Chief Minister Arjun Munda has promised to restart mining in the area.

Balmuchu, however, does not figure among the top runners in the Assembly polls. It is more a case of a Congress rebel versus rebel JMM candidate Ramdas Soren who reportedly enjoys the backing of JMM chief Shibu Soren.

At Chandil in the Jamshedpur district, around 50 villages were displaced for the Suvarnarekha multi-purpose project. Jointly funded by the World Bank and the governments of Bihar and Orissa, the project was abandoned even before half the work was complete. The Jharkhand government has restarted the Rs 2,000 crore project and more villagers are facing displacement.

Saraikela has seen a change in voter composition with the coming up of the Adityapur Industrial Area. The numerous Bihari immigrants have become a big electoral factor in the region.

In and around Ranchi district, the Koel Karo project has displaced tribal people in large numbers even though the agitation against the dam has stalled the work.

In the Hatia constituency, the loss-making public sector unit, Hindustan Electrical Company, has become a poll issue, but in a limited sense.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries Sontosh Mohan Deb campaigned in the area promising that the PSU will not be shut down. The Centre announced a revival package recently that cleared the dues of workers accruing over years. However, the unit itself has become defunct.

In the Lohardaga and Gumla belt of the state, the Nature Heart Firing Range displaced local population again. In these backward tribal districts, however, no economic issue is as effective an election issue as a wad of cash and some local liquor.