Post News Network
Talcher, July 14: Coal supply and production at Talcher coalfield came to a grinding halt Tuesday due to indefinite economic blockade by an outfit, Talcher Surakhya Manch, demanding fulfillment of their seven-point charter of demands which included a setting up a medical college in the region.
The agitation completely disrupted coal extraction from all the 10 mines – Hingula, Balaram, Nandira, Bharatpur, Anant, Jagannath, Bhubaneswari, Dera, Lingaraj and Kaniha – owned by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) and upset the transport of 35 racks of coal to various destinations in and outside the state through rail and road routes. Notably, 2,40,000 MT of coal is regularly produced from various mines in Talcher coalfield.
National Thermal Power Corporation, Talcher Thermal Power Station and Nalco are the major users of coal produced from the mines of MCL. The agitation resulted in a loss of revenue of `2.5 crore to the state government.
The outfit launched the agitation in the morning after tripartite talks involving the outfit, the administration and the MCL held Monday failed. The talks broke down after MCL authorities failed to come out clear on the establishment of medical college.
The outfit’s president Muralidhar Sahu warned that the agitation will continue for an indefinite period till their demands are met.
The outfit members divided in groups staged demonstration outside all the mines demanding establishment of the medical college from this year, implementation of 2006 rehabilitation policy of the state government, piped drinking water supply to all villages in Talcher, construction of flyover at Handidhuan and Lingaraj, filling up the craters with sand after coal extraction, plantation, double-laning of the road from Talcher to Hingula temple and providing employment to local youths in various mines. Policemen deployed at the spot kept a close watch on the unfolding situation.
“With requisite land available to us in last March we initiated the construction work of the medical college building with the allocation of `492 crore. There will be a 100-seated medical college and 500-bed hospital which will be located at Talcher near the MCL Central Hospital. The construction work has already been awarded to a government construction company, director (personnel), MCL, PC Panigrahi said.