The ropeway across Sone river that used to transport limestone to the plant in Japla under Hussainabad constituency(Saikat Chatterjee)

Hussainabad (Palamau), Dec. 20: While December 23, the day election verdict, nears, residents of the dual township of Hussainabad and Hariharganj are waiting with bated breath for they have high expectations about the revival of a cement factory in Japla.

The remains of once-upon-a-time prosperous Sone Valley Cement Limited situated on the Bihar border in Palamau’s Hussainabad constituency tells a sordid tale of neglect and mismanagement.

The 1,000-tonne cement plant set up by the Dalmias during the British period in 1920s used to provide employment to thousands of people of this constituency directly or indirectly.

“But the cement plant shut down in 1992. In the past, politicians promised us revival of the plant that would generate jobs for unemployed youths. But all the politicians have fooled us,” said Dhaneshwar Ram, a former employee of the plant.

The cement plant is situated beside the Sone river that divides Bihar and Jharkhand.

A long ropeway that used to transport limestone, the main raw material for the cement plant, from neighbouring Baulia quarry of Rohtas district of Bihar still exists, but the ropeway does not work. Only the hanging trolleys remain mute reminders of a glorious past.

The plant set up by the Dalmias was later purchased by the Jains who ultimately sold it off to one S.P. Sinha of Patna. All elected public representatives, including sitting MLA Kamlesh Kumar Singh who is presently in Birsa Munda Central Jail on corruption charges, have made revival of cement plant a poll issue. “This time we have not voted for Singh, but for some other candidate,” said Ashok Vishwakarma, a former worker.

Vishwakarma said that former chief minister Arjun Munda, too, had made a couple of visits to the cement town of Japla but nothing positive happened.

This time, again, politicians have promised the moon to voters. JD(U) nominee Dasharath Kumar Singh was the most vocal of them.

Sources said unpaid bank loans and workers’ arrears amounting to crores were pending, so the government should give utmost priority to revival of the plant.

The main plant had 1,400 permanent workers and about 4,000 temporary ones, employed either by contractors or the company management.

Moreover, around 5,000 people of the region as well as Bihar’s Rohtas district were engaged with Boulia lime stone quarry.

Now, most of the village youths have left the area in search of jobs at other places where they just manage to earn enough to survive. Hashim Bhai, another former worker, said all his sons were doing petty jobs in Calcutta and other places.

Meanwhile, the premises now house the Deori police outpost with around 30 policemen headed by sub-inspector Ajit Arun Ekka. They guard the premises as well as provide security to locals.