No end in sight to BALCO issue

By Our Principal Correspondent

RAIPUR, APRIL 6. Even as the Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Mr. Ajit Jogi, today headed straight for Korba after briefing the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, on the controversial Bharat Aluminium Corporation Ltd (BALCO) issue in New Delhi on Thursday, the possibility of any solution to the standoff appeared grim.

Mr. Jogi, who had flown to the Capital from Bilaspur

on Thursday, returned to Raipur via Korba this evening.

``I briefed `madam' on the BALCO issue in New Delhi and attended a tribal sammelan at Korba,'' he told reporters here. Referring to a question on response from the Union Mines Minister, Mr. Sunder Lal Patwa, on his letter in which he had offered to participate in the negotiations, the Chief Minister said they had not received any reply from the Central Government so far. ``The ball is now in their court,'' he said.

On the other hand, the striking trade unions seem to be in no mood to compromise. ``There is no question of any trade union talking to Sterlite Industries. We do not recognise the new management and talks will be held only when the Government takes over the management,'' said Mr. M. Ansari, working president of the CITU.

He also said talks would be held in the presence of Mr. Jogi and could be scheduled in Raipur or Bilaspur but certainly not New Delhi. Since the Sterlite management has refused to hold negotiations at Korba apprehending law and order problem, Raipur or Bilaspur were the two possible options, he added.

Regarding Mr. Patwa's reported statement that talks would be held to discuss the employees working conditions, Mr. Ansari pointed out that the issue was not only of the BALCO employees but disinvestment as a policy.

Within two hours of the BALCO sale, the Orissa Chief Minister announced the sale of two mines to the company as it would provide employment to 1,000 people from the State. Mr. Ansari said it showed that the intentions of the Sterlite Industries were not genuine right from the beginning.

Admitting that the condition of the striking employees, particularly the contract labourers, was deteriorating and the level of frustration had gone up considerably, Mr. Ansari said the labourers and their families were being fed in the `langar' run from donations by various trade unions.

Mr. Ansari said trade unions have decided to organise a dharna outside Supreme Court on April 9 when the case would be taken up.

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