September 08, 2008

JMACC opposing ArcelorMittal plant in Jharkhand

As per media reports, Mr Xavier Dius spokesman of Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination Committee recently said that ArcelorMittal’s CSR efforts in mining areas are just a means of getting entry there.

Mr Dius said that "ArcelorMittal won’t be allowed here in any way. They might be sincere when they talk about CSR, but we will not allow even an inch of land to be mined here, even if they distribute gold. There is no entry for ArcelorMittal or any mining personnel, even from the government, in this area. For 150 years, especially after independence mining has been done. There are no forests left now."

Mr Dius said that "The Koal and Karo rivers were seen as a source for water for the industrial belt planned along the expressway from Jamshedpur to Ranchi. For 30 years, we have not allowed damming."

On asking why target ArcelorMittal, he said that "No, we are not specifically against ArcelorMittal. For us the whole industry is one, just as all iron ore and all steel is one in the metal industry. We rate Mittal on same level as Vedanta and Anil Agarwal, if not blacklisted miners. We sympathize with the 500 steel workers in Grance who are being retrenched after Mittal took charge. Besides where were they all these years? What is the history of their philanthropy or CSR?"