TALCHER: With production and despatch of coal from 21 mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) affected following the strike by trade unions, the company in one day incurred a production loss of 3.7 lakh tonne which is worth Rs 15 crore.
Several attempts by MCL authorities to run the mines was met with resistance by the workers in the coalfields at Bhubaneswari, Bharatpur, Kaniha and other areas of MCL. While MCL Director AK Tiwari is camping at IB Valley field, two directors PC Panigrahi and JP Singh are in Talcher from Tuesady night. MCL CMD AN Sahay is holding talks with top authorities on the issue at Bhubaneswar.
While all other companies of CIL are doing some business during the strike, production and despatch from MCL mines was nil, said sources.
Tension ran high at Bhubaneswari mine when police and hundreds of workers came face to face after the authorities tried to run the mine, which produces more than one lakh tonne daily.
However, no power plant in the State will face immediate crisis as they have sufficient stock but Nalco plant can manage for two days only, MCL sources said.
Terming the strike as a success, the trade union leaders SC Pradhan, Srinibas Rao and Shankar Behera vowed to continue it till January 10, as per the decision of their Central committee leaders.