Jamshedpur, Oct. 22: The Nagpur-based Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) has begun its feasibility study to ascertain whether the Surda mines of Ghatshila-based Indian Copper Complex (ICC), a unit of the ailing PSU Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), could remain operational or not.

A seven-member IBM team, led by its senior functionary R. Bhatia, has already reached Ghatsila and begun its work in this regard. Surda is the only existing mine under the ICC unit, which is yet to close down. The other five mines under this unit of the ICC were closed down, as they had become economically unfeasible.

The visit of the IBM officials to Ghatshila comes in wake of the Union labour ministry’s directives to the Union mines department to engage experts to find out whether the move of the HCL authorities to close down the mine was justified or not. The IBM is expected to submit its findings to the Union government by mid-November.

Although the ICC officials are tight-lipped about the survey being undertaken by the IBM, Musaboni Mines Labour Union (MMLU), the recognised union, confirmed their visit.

“They have come to undertake the feasibility study of Surda mines,” MMLU president K.P. Singh informed The Telegraph here today and added that the IBM officials had already commenced its study. The IBM officials would examine different aspects of the mine including the existing labour force, current cost of mining and the extent of copper ore available at Surda during its survey.

“If they want they can seek details about the functioning of the mine from the management,” sources informed. They said that based on their findings, they would be submitting their report to the Union labour and mines ministries.

In August this year, the HCL management served notice to the workers of Surda mines informing them about the closure of the mine with effect from November 15. The management argued that the cost of mining operations in the mine had been exorbitant over the years and become uneconomical to carry on with operations of extracting copper from the mine. It launched a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for nearly 1,200 workers of Surda to allow them to opt for it before the mine was formally closed down.

MMLU protested against this move terming the step as a deliberate conspiracy to shut down the mine. It emphasised that Surda was still viable if the management paid proper attention to mining activities at the mine.

The matter pertaining to the closure of Surda mines came up for hearing at the Union labour ministry on September 30 . In its verdict on October 10, the labour ministry refused permission to the management saying that the grounds for closure of the mine were “insufficient”. Simultaneously, it also directed the Union mines ministry and HCL authorities to engage a competent agency as soon as possible to ascertain the feasibility of Surda. The IBM was chosen for the job.