Post News Network
Talcher, July 28: Normal life in Talcher coal belt came to a standstill Tuesday due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh and economic blockade called by Talcher Bar Association demanding establishment of a medical college in the area and start of admission process from this academic session.
The bandh also hit coal extraction and transport from all 10 mines – Hingula, Balaram, Nandira, Bharatpur, Ananta, Jagannath, Bhubaneswari, Lingaraj, and Kaniha – owned by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL). As a result, coal transport through rail and road routes to public sector majors like National Thermal Power Corporation, Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) and Nalco was completely disrupted.
People also supported the bandh called by the bar association which felt the necessity of a medical college and hospital for them as the area is affected by pollution caused by various coalmines.
The bandh was observed as part of a warning earlier issued by the bar association spearheading an agitation over the issue. It had warned that if its demands were not met within the stipulated period then it would launch an economic blockade from July 28.
Talcher coalfield, which is one of the major coalfields of Coal India limited and provides daily 2, 20,000 tonne coal to power stations of about eight states including Orissa, remained paralysed Tuesday. While the MCL suffered heavy loss for the agitation the state government also incurred loss of `2.5 crore.
Besides government offices, the bandh supporters shut down schools and colleges. They also stopped traffic on the national highway linking state capital to Rourkela via Pallahara and also squatted on the tracks forcing some trains to be detained at Talcher station.
“Today there was no coal extraction or production from any of the coalmines here due to the bandh. Coal could not be dispatched to any of the power plants in the country. There was loss of daily production of about two lakh tones,” said a senior official.
The bandh was peaceful with no untoward incident reported from any part of the industrial town. Talcher SDPO KC Parida said about five platoons of police force were deployed in the coal belt to maintain law and order.
The lawyers who earlier announced economic blockade for an indefinite period for the medial college went ahead with their stir plan despite there was directive by Chief Minister to MCL to start the construction of the college by August 15