Iron ore transportation hit due to Maoists: NDMC

RAIPUR - The ‘martyrs week’ called by Maoists has hit iron ore transportation by NMDC Ltd, a company official said.

The public sector miner excavates iron ore in Bacheli and Kirandul areas that form Bailadila hills in India’s worst insurgency hit Dantewada district, about 420 km from here.

“Transportation has been down up to 35 percent on daily basis since July 28 because railways have cancelled rail rakes during night period fearing attacks by Maoists. The normal supply is about 60,000 tonnes a day,” a senior NMDC official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

“The transportation is expected to resume to its full capacity from Aug 4 as the week-long martyrs week that began July 28 ends Tuesday night,” the official said.

Maoists, who have been observing martyrs week in Chhattisgarh and other states in memory of their leaders who were killed in gunfights with security forces, often call strikes in their strongholds in mineral-rich Chhattisgarh.

They have strong presence in Dantewada where they have been carrying out attacks since they began their armed movement in 1967 from West Bengal. As many as 76 paramilitary troopers were killed in one of the biggest attacks by Maosits in April this year.