Germania Trest Consortium (GTC), the contracted company of Maddhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd (MGMCL) in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur, has stopped rock production on the ground of shortage of explosives since June 1, GTC officials said.

Meanwhile, MGMCL officials claimed that Ammonium Nitrate, a major raw material used in manufacturing the explosives, arrived at the mine site from Chittagongporton June2.

Beside, GTC has sanctioned leave to its 550 out of680 local miners to avoid paying their wages.

GTC Public Relation Officer Mosaddekul Mukul said rock production will resume from today (June 6).

Although GTC signed the contract with MGMCL in September 2013, it came into effect since February 2014.

As per the contract, GTC would produce 9.2 million tonnes of rock and prepare 12 stopes (underground pockets used for explosion) in six years.

Moreover, MGMCL authority will pay the contracted company USD

171.86 million in 13 separate heads.

But, the company has managed to produce only 1.9 million tonnes of rock in over four years, which should have been about 5.70 million tonnes, according to the contract.

Besides, GTC has developed only four stopes against eight stopes in the last four years.

Mentionable GTC has already spent most of the money from allocated USD 171.86 million dollars underdifferentheads.

Besides, at least three local miners have been killed in different accidents since GTC took over the mine.

According to the contract, USD 13.2 million is allocated for the miners' insurance and GTC should bring all its 680 local miners under the insurance coverage. But, the company is yet to bring the labourers under the insurance coverage even after four and a half years.

Although GTC has already spent most of its allocated money, it always keeps asking for money, which causes friction between GTC and MGMCL.

Recently, GTC placed a USD 1.7 million bill against its allocation of USD 12 million for spare parts,

although the company has already spent 96.2 percent of the total allotment in four years.

In October last year, GTC suspended rock production at the mine site demanding removal of MGMCL General Manager (GM Operation) Mohammad Mir Hannan, who was later replaced by Mohammad Asaduzzaman.

Petrobangla, parent organisation of MGMCL, has already appointed eight different GM's for different tenures since September 2013.

In the middle of 2015, MGMCL Managing Director (MD) Abdul Basar was transferred following friction between GTC and MGMCL over different issues.

Later, rock production at the mine remained suspended for nearly two years since September 2015 on the ground of equipment shortage which was later resumed in November last year.

However, GTC Executive Director Zabed Siddique claimed that rock production was suspended for two years due to non-cooperation of MGMCL