Villagers Shut Down Two Coalmines

TALCHER: Two mega opencast coal projects producing about 70,000 tonnes coal per day were shut down by the villagers on Tuesday demanding rehabilitation.

Hundreds of villagers of Rakus stormed Bharatapur and Jagannath coalmines here on Tuesday morning and stopped all operations. They demanded that they be shifted to their new resettlement site as their village has already been acquired and all benefits be given to them.

The colliery  source said it has been decided to resettle them at Boulpur but the people of adjacent village Natada are opposing the resettlement demanding that coal authorities acquire their village land as well.

At a meeting held later in the day and attended by revenue officer, it was decided to hold another meeting  following which the strike was called off.

Talcher Coalfields, which produces more than 60 per cent coal for Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, has been witnessing  mines bandh over the issue of rehabilitation and resettlement since long.

The agitation comes at a time when MCL is struggling to meet the high target in peak months.

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The New Indian Express
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