ROURKELA: Coal production and transport at three mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Hemgir block of Sundargarh district remained disrupted for the second consecutive day due to hunger strike by locals, who are demanding immediate repair of the Bankibahal-Taparia road.
On Wednesday, Sundargarh MP Jual Oram along with Sundargarh, Talasara and Rengali MLAs-Kusum Tete, Bhawani Bhoi and Nauri Nayak visited the agitation site at Chhatabar near Bileimunda. Oram’s representative Bisikesan Sha and Tete’s representative Saroj Pangirahi are sitting on indefinite hunger strike for the last week. As their health has been deteriorating, Oram persuaded them to convert their agitation to a relay hunger strike.
The MP asserted the agitation would continue till the villagers’ demand is met. He asked the district administration and State Government to ensure all technical issues are taken care of and the road repaired as soon as possible. The villagers have been agitating for the last one week. However, operations at MCL’s Kulda, Basundhara and Garjanbahal open cast mines were hit after Tete joined the agitation on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, due to closure of its three mines in the area, MCL is suffering daily losses to the tune of 70,000 tonne and not 17,000 tonne as inadvertently reported earlier. Over 1,000 coal laden trucks bound for Chhattisgarh ply on Bankibahal-Taparia road daily. The 30 km damaged stretch of the road, has been causing inconvenience to residents of Balinga, Gopalpur, Munderkhes, Garjanjor, Jhartarang, Kendudihi and Taparia panchayats in the block.