Ex-CM accused of being UCIL agent as displaced families press old grievances
Key Points:
- Traditional gram sabha burns effigies of Arjun Munda and aides
- Villagers allege UCIL has ignored 2026 memorandum on rehabilitation
- Former chief minister denies charges, calls allegations a conspiracy
JAMSHEDPUR – A protest broke out in Turamdih village in East Singhbhum on Monday after former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda arrived to back displaced and affected residents, with members of a traditional gram sabha branding him and his supporters agents of the Uranium Corporation of India Limited and burning their effigies.
The confrontation unfolded in Nandup village under the Turamdih mining belt, where gram sabha members accused the administration of overlooking tribal rights in an area they describe as falling under the Fifth Schedule. They said indigenous interests have repeatedly been sidelined in dealings tied to the uranium mining operations run by UCIL, a Department of Atomic Energy enterprise that has operated in the Singhbhum belt for decades.
Munda rejected the allegations as baseless. He said his only objective was to safeguard the rights of displaced and affected families. According to him, talks with UCIL management have centered on securing employment, compensation and other facilities for local residents, based on standards set by the central government and on past agreements reached with the company.
The former chief minister dismissed the brokerage charge outright. He described it as a deliberate and pre-planned conspiracy aimed at undermining his advocacy work in the area.
Villagers from Nandup say the Turamdih mine was established on land that belonged to them, making their community among the worst affected by the project. Residents said an earlier agreement between company management and villagers on jobs and rehabilitation was never fully implemented, despite years having passed since it was signed.
The displaced families’ committee submitted a memorandum to UCIL management on June 1 outlining a long list of demands. No concrete action has followed, according to villagers. Their list includes priority for local people in UCIL’s contract work, protection for existing contract labourers, reinstatement of dismissed employees or their dependents, and clearance of pending recruitment.
Additional demands cover rehabilitation packages, reconstruction of damaged religious sites, allotment of shops in the market complex, and basic infrastructure such as street lighting, drinking water and electricity. Villagers are also seeking free competitive-exam coaching for children, protection of tribal language and culture, installation of a statue of tribal leader Laco Bodra, compensation for homes damaged by blasting, and curbs on pollution from mining activity.
Residents warned that the agitation would be intensified if their demands are not addressed soon. Munda, for his part, said he is working toward a resolution that serves the interests of the displaced population.
Two distinct camps have now emerged in the dispute. The gram sabha continues to question the former chief minister’s role in the matter, while Munda maintains that he is fighting for the rights of those affected by the mining project. Administrative inquiries and statements from both sides are expected to clarify the situation in the coming days.
UCIL has operated the Turamdih uranium mine as part of its broader Singhbhum operations, which also include the older Jaduguda facility, among India’s earliest uranium mining sites.
The standoff adds to a string of recent tensions in East Singhbhum and neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan over mining leases and land rights, including an inconclusive gram sabha dispute in Kanku-Patamda earlier this month and protests by a traditional gram sabha manch in Kuchai over the PESA rules formation process.
