Santosh Naik
Following the closure of mining in the state since 2012, the ripple and cascading effects were felt by several sectors. One sector that was badly hit was the allied “auto” sector, involving the truck maintenance, repair, wheel balance, chasis etc. Suddenly, this sector that had flourished following the truck flow into mining business fell hard on its face and was left badly bruised.
Never did they dream in their worst nightmare that the hammer and tongs would fall silent!
As it is said that when a huge banyan tree blooms, many take shelter and also build their “nests” on it and when the TREE is uprooted, all those who live “on it” have that great fall too!
Their pleas and blaming the government did not have much logic though due to the fact that they were neither auhtorised by the administration and neither did they had taken loans from banks on the pretext of the mining sector. Hence their social security was at peril. It was in fact neither the government’s jurisdiction, nor the mining bosses ‘ headache.
“We were self-employed and many were dependent on us for jobs. When the government can’t provide jobs, it was the responsibility of the government to rehabilitate or plan some scheme to fit us in it, but nobody from the government came forward to help us,” said an affected trader.
Asked what they hope from a new government/regime? Most of them said, they hoped that the government would do something to ensure that they aren’t out of job. The government had framed some schemes for the truck owners and hence they are still afloat, but nobody took our plight seriously. Even their memorandum to the government has failed to evoke any response in the last four years. Nobody from the government visited us and heard our pleas nor had any plans for us. We didn’t even receive any relief.
Maruti Chari owner at Usgao who was waiting for customers in his garrage said our life has gone topsy turvy following the mining ban in 2012. “We hope that our relentless prayers would be answered by the new govewrnment in the form of schemes etc. so that even in an era of sustainable mining, we get some decent business to remain in circulation. We have been in business since 1978. We undertook entire dismantle and full repair of engines. Before 2012 we were content with life as mining was in full force and there were around 3500 trucks plying from Usgao and Dharbandora for transportation or ore because of which we were getting work of reparing this trucks,” said the owner.
“Around 16 to 20 mechanics were employed by me and their hands were full. I was forced to lay off at least 15 mechanics from my workshop since 2012 as work order and demand dried up fast,” he added.
Several trucks were seen to be dumped just like that on the roadside and gradually fell prey to rust. Finally, my workforce has come down to three which now is dependent on buses and private vehicles,” he concluded.
Nilesh Chari who is runs a garage feels that their plight is due to dirty politics played by shrewd politicians. To justify his stand, Chari says, “Due to politics between Congress and BJP, mining ban was imposed. We lost our livelihood. Many politicians were in the mining business but they haven’t been affected. They have hopped on to other business interests, but we had pinned our hopes on this and now are left in the lurch,” he said.
There are around 40 garages, including two big ones in Usgao and Dharbandora. He also expressed anger over hike in road taxes, insurance premium. ” The government should have conducted a survey of indirect dependants like us,” he said.
Satyawan Kashinath Naik from Dharbandora said the government should give more rates for ore transportation as it is not possible to pay salaries to drivers. He said the government should consider lowering the rate of Road and Insurance premium to sustain the truck owners as mining is growing at a snail’s pace and many truck drivers have no work for transportation. Only few trucks are in operation.
Vishwanath Prabu owner of Deepraj Automobile and tyre repair shops said.
According to Sidhesh Desai who is a salesman with a car showroom said, “during the mining boom, there were so many customers, now there is hardly any buyers from that sector. Our business has also taken a dip.”
