States » EastPosted at: Oct 18 2026 7:56PM


Jharkhand HC intervenes during Puja holidays, Bokaro Steel Plant’s all 11 gates reopened

Ranchi, Oct 18 (UNI)The Jharkhand High Court on Sunday took up an urgent petition filed by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) over the blockade of Bokaro Steel Plant and was informed that all 11 gates of the facility had been reopened following the intervention of the district administration.
Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad heard the matter during the court’s Puja vacation after SAIL’s counsel approached the Registrar General, citing disruption caused by protesters allegedly led by Bokaro MLA Shweta Singh and members of the Displaced Apprentices Association.
The petition stated that the blockade had obstructed the movement of employees, maintenance personnel, raw materials and essential supplies, threatening the uninterrupted operation of the steel plant.
According to the petition, the management had approached the district administration on October 15, seeking intervention to ensure the free movement of personnel and supplies. The company alleged that the gates had been blocked since the morning of October 16.
SAIL further submitted that the plant operates as a continuous-process industrial unit and that an abrupt shutdown could damage critical equipment and create serious safety risks. The petition also alleged that more than 3,500 employees and workers had been stranded inside the plant during the blockade.
Appearing before the court through video conferencing, Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha said the administration had taken effective measures to disperse the protesters and persuade them not to obstruct the plant’s operations.
The Deputy Commissioner informed the court that Gate No. 1 had been reopened and the employees stranded inside the facility had been allowed to return home. He subsequently confirmed that the remaining 10 gates had also been reopened.
SAIL’s counsel, however, expressed apprehension that the blockade could recur unless the district administration ensured adequate security and maintained law and order around the plant.
The Deputy Commissioner assured the court that effective measures would be taken to prevent further obstruction to the movement of employees and executives entering or leaving the facility during shift changes.
Based on the assurance, the court deferred the matter for the day without issuing notice to the Bokaro MLA and the Visthapit Apprentice Sangh at this stage.
The court directed the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, Bokaro, to file affidavits confirming the assurances given during the proceedings by the next hearing.
UNI SSI RSA
Tags: #Jharkhand HC intervenes during Puja holidays# Bokaro Steel Plant’s all 11 gates reopened
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