Makawanpur. A team including Chief District Officer of Makawanpur Govinda Prasad Rijal has monitored the Gingugu Mine of ‘Ridhi Sidhi Cement Industry’ in Hetauda of Raksirang Village Municipality-4 of Makawanpur.

Security officials, including the chief district officer, have been monitored the mine after local complained that they were being displaced during the operation. The industry has been mining there for a week.

About a dozen of families in Gingungu have been displaced after the mining was operated without proper management by the locals. Local Balram Chepang said that about a dozen other families had to leave the village. ” I also got money of  4 ropanis of my land but I have not found my remaining money of 6 ropani land”, he said.

The local who have sold land to the industry at a low price have repeatedly spent the money they received. They have not been able to leave the village as there is no other option after operating the mine. ” I have house in down to hill. Now others have left the house with money. I have not received the money till now. It’s too hard to live here,” complained local Rammaya Chepang,” If the mining industry paid the money, I would not live in such tough condition.”

It is alleged that the local people’s representatives allowed the affected residents to operate the mine without giving any information. According to the locals, 65 families living in the lower part of the industry will be displaced and 25 Hectares of land will be affected.

During the monitoring, Chief District Officer Rijal informed the industry management to operate the mine by addressing the reasonable demands of the locals. ” People in the area where the mine is located are not able to live there. What about the affected people in the area?, talk to them” He said,” operate the mining addressing the local people’s demand”.

The local have demanded that the industry itself should buy the land of the locals at the prevailing price and those who get less than 1 Million rupees from the sale of the land should be relocated elsewhere. But the industry has claimed that the mine was operated by meeting the demands of the locals. ” We have already reached an agreement with the people’s representative and the locals,” said Rajesh Kharel, director of the industry. We will move ahead by discussing the problems between us.”

The industry is buying land through middleman (agent) in the area where Chepang and Tamang live. More than a dozen locals who have sold the loaned land have not received the money till now”.

During the inspection, locals and Bagmati State Assembly member Om Bahadur Glan and Wada No.4 Chairman Sanjay Koirala informed about the agreement reached with the industry and the current situation.