Musabani, Aug. 7: This once-vibrant town, that used to witness various social and cultural activities around the year, is now dying. Over 7,000 families used to reside here, but now only about 600 remain.
The Recreation Club here, which used to echo with music, laughter and merry-making, now serves as a CRPF camp and echoes the sounds of marching boots, posted there to tackle the Naxalite menace.
Musabani?s decline started in 1996, when Indian Copper Complex (ICC) ? an unit of the state-owned Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), closed its copper mines here and gave the staff a VRS. This set the decline-ball rolling.
Considered to be one of the best managed PSUs, HCL?s fiscal health declined in the post-liberalisation era, as it could not compete with the cheap, imported copper.
Consequently, to curtail its cost of production, the company closed down all the six copper mines under ICC. Musabani had became a victim of the Centre?s liberalisation policy.
Currently, only an ICC smelter plant is operational here, employing about 1,000-odd employees.
A resident, Arjun Singh, who was attached with the mines, reminisced: ?Musabani was known for its social and cultural activities throughout the year. But now, it is nothing but a ghost town with life virtually coming to a standstill after dusk.?
Falling interest rates on VRS deposits in post offices, an ever-thinning crowd at the market, uncertainty of a roof over the head because of the constant threat from the government to take over all the remaining quarters ? all these serve as a perpetual reminder of the uncertain future of the families here.
The principal of the St Joseph?s Convent, the only ISCE affiliated school in the region, Sister Thaddeus, echoing the concerns of the people said: ?Most of the residents left since the mines closed. They have migrated to other places or sought refuge at homes of friends and relatives in other places. The remaining ones have no where to go and are living in a state of uncertainly.? Even the future of the convent is uncertain, she added.
Bansilal Singhania, a shopkeeper in the market, said: ?The market used to bustle with people, even till 10 pm. But now, there is hardly anyone. People come to the market because, no matter what, they have to eat.?
The trader said economy-hit has devastated the lives of people to such an extent that no body from the nearby areas is willing to give their daughter, in marriage, to people belonging here.
?Getting a bride is increasingly becoming a problem for youngsters here. It is a rare occasion when one witnesses a marriage,? he added.
In terms of medical care also Musabani could then boast of the best available treatment, with two hospitals catering to the needs of the locals. But with the mines gone, the hospitals, too, ceased to function. ?The nearest nursing home, at Ghatshila, is about 12 km away,? informed a former mine employee.
