Maddhapara Stone Mine
Workers suffer as production remains suspended
Traders are now importing stones from neighbouring India to meet local demands
UNB
The production in Dinajpur Maddhapara Stone Mine remained suspended over the last 14 months for various reasons, causing huge losses to the mine and leaving some 1,000 workers jobless, reports UNB.
Traders are now importing stones from neighbouring India to meet the local demands.
According to sources at the mine, Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited started lifting stones at the mine in 2007. At the beginning, 15-18 tonnes of stone were lifted a day, and the rate intensified to 500 tonnes per day later.
In 2014, Germania-Trest Consortium (GTC), a Belarus-based company took charge of lifting stone and management.
The GTC introduced three shifts in 24 hours for the workers instead of one. As a result, 5.5 thousand tonnes stones were produced a day over the next six months.
Following shortage of equipment, the stone lifting was halted on September 23 last year.
According to sources, Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited failed to provide sufficient equipment for lifting stones as per the agreement.
The suspension of production has led to a loss of Tk 1.5 crore each month. Besides, the suspension has rendered about 1,000 workers jobless for the last 14 months.
The dealers alleged that authorities are unable to provide stone to different organisations in time.
Azizur Rahman, a clearing and forwarding (CF) agent at Hili Land Port, said several hundred stone-laden trucks have been entering the country from India every day.
SMN Aurangazeb, managing director of Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited, said equipment worth Tk 100 crore has already been set up for the resumption of production in the mine.
The production will resume by the current month, he hoped.
Jamil Ahmed, general manager of GTC, said the GTC had inked a deal with the Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited to produce 92 lakh tonnes of stone in six years, involving TK 171.86 million US dollars.
The GTC has already produced 11.92 lakh tonnes of stone and it will be possible to reach the target in the stipulated time if the production work starts soon.
