Jharkhand HC hears BSL blockade plea; all 11 gates reopen

Bokaro: 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 (BSL), recording the district administration’s submission that all 11 gates had been reopened and movement of employees had resumed.

Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad heard the matter during the court’s Puja vacation after SAIL approached the Registrar General, alleging that protesters had obstructed entry and exit at the plant gates, disrupting the movement of employees, maintenance personnel, raw materials and essential supplies.

According to the court order in W.P.(Cr.) No. 639 of 2026, Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha told the court that the administration had taken effective steps to disperse the protesters and restore access to the plant.

The deputy commissioner informed the court that Gate No. 1 had been reopened and employees who had been stranded inside the plant had been allowed to return home. He subsequently confirmed that the other 10 gates had also reopened. SAIL’s counsel, after seeking instructions, confirmed that the gates were open and movement into and out of the plant had resumed.

Administration assures court of uninterrupted access

The court recorded the deputy commissioner’s assurance that the administration would take effective measures to prevent further obstruction to employees entering and leaving the plant at the beginning and end of their shifts.

The district administration also assured the court that it was capable of managing the situation and that there was no need, at this stage, to summon the state Home Secretary.

On the basis of the assurance given by the deputy commissioner, the court deferred further consideration of the matter for the day. It did not issue notice to Bokaro MLA Shweta Singh 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 statements made before it. The affidavits are to be submitted on or before the next hearing, scheduled for October 28, when the case will be taken up as the first matter.

SAIL warns of operational and safety risks

In its petition, SAIL said the blockade had severely affected the movement of workers, maintenance teams, raw materials and other essential supplies required for the continuous operation of the steel plant.

The company told the court that BSL is a continuous-process industrial facility that requires round-the-clock staffing and maintenance. It warned that a forced shutdown could put critical equipment at risk, including blast furnaces containing molten steel, and could create serious safety and environmental hazards.

The petition also alleged that the blockade had left employees inside the plant without adequate access to food, water and medicines. These assertions formed part of SAIL’s submissions before the court and were not independent findings on every aspect of the alleged disruption.

The company had approached the district administration on October 15, seeking intervention to maintain law and order and ensure free movement through the plant gates. It subsequently moved the High Court after alleging that its concerns had not been adequately addressed.

Employment demand behind the agitation

The blockade was part of an ongoing agitation by displaced persons and trained apprentices associated with the Visthapit Apprentice Sangh, who are demanding employment at BSL.

The protest entered its eighth day on October 17, with demonstrators seeking regular employment and a resolution to their long-standing grievances. Bokaro MLA Shweta Singh had joined the agitation in support of the protesters.

The dispute concerns employment claims raised by families whose land was acquired for the establishment of the steel plant and by apprentices who have undergone training but are seeking jobs.

During the hearing, SAIL’s counsel referred to Supreme Court orders dated March 5, 2008, and September 27, 2019, concerning employment claims by displaced persons. The 2008 order directed that 970 persons identified in a specified category be considered for employment, with preference where other conditions were equal and vacancies arose. It also clarified that such consideration did not confer an automatic right to appointment.

The 2019 order declined to entertain further applications in the concluded civil appeal, observing that the matter needed to be brought to an end.

The present proceedings concern the alleged blockade and the need to maintain access to the plant. The court has not, in this order, adjudicated the merits of the protesters’ current employment demands.

Next hearing on October 28

The High Court’s intervention came during the Puja vacation, with the court noting that it was scheduled to reopen on October 26. The case has been listed for October 28.

The reopening of all 11 gates restores access for employees and essential movement, according to the submissions recorded in the order. The administration will now have to place its assurances formally before the court through affidavits.

The employment dispute between BSL management and the displaced apprentices remains unresolved.