Bokaro Steel plant resumes operations after blockade cleared

Operations at the Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL) plant in Jharkhand have resumed following a blockade by protesters that trapped approximately 5,000 employees for 22 hours. The district administration and police intervened to remove agitators from the plant's gates to restore the movement of goods and personnel.

The blockade, led by the Visthapit Naujawan Sangharsh Morcha, was part of a prolonged protest by displaced families seeking job regularization. The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) filed an urgent petition with the Jharkhand High Court, reporting estimated production losses of Rs 30 crore per day and warning that a lack of raw materials could cause molten steel to solidify, potentially damaging furnaces and costing thousands of crores to repair.

In response to the unrest, authorities have imposed prohibitory orders within a 200-meter radius of the plant's main gate, banning assemblies of five or more people, rallies, and the carrying of weapons. While the administration stated that peaceful demonstrations may continue near the ‘Two-Tank Garden’, strict measures are in place to prevent further disruption to industrial operations.