<p>The Supreme Court order on floating global tenders for re-starting the gold mines may revive the golden history of the region which is several centuries old. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While the gold mines were set up here in 1880 by British trader John Taylor, the yellow metal was mined here even earlier, during Tipu Sultan’s rule. Mining was restricted to the surface during the period.<br /><br />Researchers believe that it was during the period of the Mohenjo Daro-Harappa civilisation that presence of gold deposits here were first discovered. <br /><br />Taylor’s mines started making losses in just a few years after they were established. It was decided to close the mines. But the discovery of more deposits soon after made Taylor go back on his decision to close the mines and return to England. He stayed back and imported state-of-the-art machines from Birmingham.<br /><br />Equipment to help workers climb down into the mines safely were installed. <br />Arrangements were made to supply cool air and oxygen deep into the mines to ensure safety of the workers. <br /><br />In 1904, KGF was the first region in the whole of Asia to get electricity connection, through a direct line from the hydel power station at Shivanasamudra. There never was a power failure in the city, till the mines were shut down in 2001.<br /><br />Pipelines had been laid a century ago from Bethamangala, 15 km away, to provide clean drinking water to the people in KGF. The line continues to stake the people’s thirst even now. The BGML hospital also got the country’s first X-ray machine in 1915. <br /><br />As the mines were modernised, thousands migrated here from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Kudiyatham and other places in Tamil Nadu to work as miners. Workers from the neighbouring state were considered hard working and even risked their lives to get deep into the mines.<br /><br />KGF’s workforce, in fact, changed the very demographic profile of the region and Tamils outnumbered the Kannada-speaking people. <br /> <br />At one point of time, there were 40,000 workers in BGML, making it the highest producer of the metal most sought-after. According to estimates, a whopping 850 metric tonnes of gold have been extracted from the mines here.<br /><br />It was in the 1970s that talks about closing down the mines began surfacing due to the dwindling gold content in the deposits. It became clear by the 1990s that the mines were indeed going to be closed, triggering agitations by workers against the move. <br /><br />Many committees visited the city to take stock of the situation and submitted reports to the Central government.<br /><br />When the governnent finally announced the decision to close down the mines on February 28, 2001, the workers went to court. Tuesday’s Supreme Court direction for reviving BGML is the culmination of a prolonged court battle.<br /><br />Celebrations in KGF<br /><br />The direction of the Supreme Court to revive the Bharat Gold Mines Limited here has been welcomed by leaders of workers’ unions and political parties. G Jayakumar, spokesperson of the BGML Employees, Supervisors and Officers Association, demanded that the Centre should settle the dues to the tune of Rs 52 crore to the BGML workers. It should also settle the interest dues to the tune of Rs 20 crore on the gratuity of the employees, he said.<br /><br />MLA Y Ramakka has also welcomed the order, saying it is a victory for the 13-year legal battle of the workers. BJP workers burst crackers at Surajmal Circle in the town to celebrate the victory.<br /></p>
<p>The Supreme Court order on floating global tenders for re-starting the gold mines may revive the golden history of the region which is several centuries old. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While the gold mines were set up here in 1880 by British trader John Taylor, the yellow metal was mined here even earlier, during Tipu Sultan’s rule. Mining was restricted to the surface during the period.<br /><br />Researchers believe that it was during the period of the Mohenjo Daro-Harappa civilisation that presence of gold deposits here were first discovered. <br /><br />Taylor’s mines started making losses in just a few years after they were established. It was decided to close the mines. But the discovery of more deposits soon after made Taylor go back on his decision to close the mines and return to England. He stayed back and imported state-of-the-art machines from Birmingham.<br /><br />Equipment to help workers climb down into the mines safely were installed. <br />Arrangements were made to supply cool air and oxygen deep into the mines to ensure safety of the workers. <br /><br />In 1904, KGF was the first region in the whole of Asia to get electricity connection, through a direct line from the hydel power station at Shivanasamudra. There never was a power failure in the city, till the mines were shut down in 2001.<br /><br />Pipelines had been laid a century ago from Bethamangala, 15 km away, to provide clean drinking water to the people in KGF. The line continues to stake the people’s thirst even now. The BGML hospital also got the country’s first X-ray machine in 1915. <br /><br />As the mines were modernised, thousands migrated here from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Kudiyatham and other places in Tamil Nadu to work as miners. Workers from the neighbouring state were considered hard working and even risked their lives to get deep into the mines.<br /><br />KGF’s workforce, in fact, changed the very demographic profile of the region and Tamils outnumbered the Kannada-speaking people. <br /> <br />At one point of time, there were 40,000 workers in BGML, making it the highest producer of the metal most sought-after. According to estimates, a whopping 850 metric tonnes of gold have been extracted from the mines here.<br /><br />It was in the 1970s that talks about closing down the mines began surfacing due to the dwindling gold content in the deposits. It became clear by the 1990s that the mines were indeed going to be closed, triggering agitations by workers against the move. <br /><br />Many committees visited the city to take stock of the situation and submitted reports to the Central government.<br /><br />When the governnent finally announced the decision to close down the mines on February 28, 2001, the workers went to court. Tuesday’s Supreme Court direction for reviving BGML is the culmination of a prolonged court battle.<br /><br />Celebrations in KGF<br /><br />The direction of the Supreme Court to revive the Bharat Gold Mines Limited here has been welcomed by leaders of workers’ unions and political parties. G Jayakumar, spokesperson of the BGML Employees, Supervisors and Officers Association, demanded that the Centre should settle the dues to the tune of Rs 52 crore to the BGML workers. It should also settle the interest dues to the tune of Rs 20 crore on the gratuity of the employees, he said.<br /><br />MLA Y Ramakka has also welcomed the order, saying it is a victory for the 13-year legal battle of the workers. BJP workers burst crackers at Surajmal Circle in the town to celebrate the victory.<br /></p>
