JVM protests at JAMSHEDPUR Jusco office
- SATURDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2012 , Jamsehdpur
- PNS |
More than 3,000 residents of slum areas and JVM activists led by Jamshedpur MP Ajoy Kumar staged massive demonstration at Jusco office for nearly three hours on Friday over failure of the company in providing power and water in 76 urban slums near Tata Steel command areas.
Leading the demonstration Ajoy Kumar said that they were forced to take such an agitation for the benefit of nearly seven lakhs urban slum-dwellers after Tata Steel and Jusco officials failed to heed to their demands.
“Though we had several meetings with officials of Tata Steel and Jusco over the issues of providing power and drinking water to the urban slum dwellers but nothing has been done so far. This has been laid down in the clause of the lease agreement between Tata Steel and State Government that they would have to provide civic amenities to slums near company township. But unfortunately, nothing happened forcing us to take up agitation,” said the MP.
The MP said that the Jusco was requested to atleast provide community taps in such urban slums and the cost of which would be borne by MP fund.
The MP accompanied by JVM central secretary Abhay Singh and other leaders threatened that they would chalk out strategy if Tata Steel does not take up any efforts in providing civic amenities in the slums within 10 days.
“We might even lock up Jusco gate if they fail to address the issue. They should provide basic amenities to urban slums in accordance with the lease agreement clause,” he noted. Jusco general manager town services Dhananjay Mishra refused to comment on the issue.
The JVM leader said, that on the one hand, the company is spending thousands of gallons of water for keeping the golf course green, but it is doing nothing to meet the need of drinking water to the slums surrounding it.
Meanwhile, the JVM functionaries declared that they would carry out similar protest every weekend unless the basic civic facilities are not extended to all the slums surrounding the company
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kracktivist 
Oct 03, 2012 @ 15:25:46
The act of corporate responsibility is becoming ever more important in the UK and Europe and I can only hope that it continues to spread to other places like India. The promise of extra profit for TATA by showing compassion in providing safe drinking water so people from bordering slums can hydrate properly might change their attitude. It is however, quite shocking that a global company like TATA can have so much disrespect and not help dehydrated people in their own back-yard. We are, of course, only talking about a very small amount of their profit to install something as simple as a community tap.
Let’s hope they that corporate responsibility is a topic the top-brass from TATA’s clients discuss with them while enjoying the well watered green.