One tonne two many, coal smugglers bike and bleed MCL
JHARSUGUDA: Between 5 am and 6 pm everyday, around 25 motorcycles, 10 mopeds and 300 cycles would head to the five sidings and three open cast mining points of MCL’s Ib, Orient and Lakhanpur mines and return. Inconsequential as they would appear, local police has found out that coal smugglers are bleeding the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Jharsuguda district by finding a unique use of the two-wheelers.
Each cycle approximately carries about 200 kg of coal illegally from MCL premises, a motorcycle and moped transport about 300-400 kg. The daily mathematics of illegal transportation can be complex but MCL bears a loss of about Rs 10 crore a year due to theft of more than 1,000 tonne of coal daily from the mines in Lakhanpur, Orient, and Ib Valley areas.
The smuggled coal feeds the brick kilns and roadside dhabas operating in Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar, Belpahar, Banharpali and Bandhbahal areas of the district. There are as many as 47 brick kilns and 25 dhabas that operate on coal. A brick kiln owner, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We have to pay Rs 2,700 per tonne of legal coal but these two-wheeler coal suppliers sell the same coal to us for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per tonne.”
A dhaba owner of the bordering Kanaktora said without the smuggled coal, most of the roadside eateries in Jharsuguda district would shut shop. Sources point out that the illegal activity is carried out right under the nose of administration as security guards, local police and mining officials are hand in glove with the smugglers. Purna Sethi, who smuggles coal on a two-wheeler, said he took up this work after failing to find a job. “I pay a share of my earnings to the guards and police and make Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 every day.
On days when the checking is strict, we have to be idle. I know the work is illegal and hence, don’t want to do it for long.” The security area officer of Lakhanpur claimed that local police has been asked to crack down on illegal coal depots and block unlawful coal transport from the mines premises. Police seized 12 mopeds and motorcycles besides arresting 12 bike riders involved in coal smuggling recently. All the bikes were claimed to be rented, said Jharsuguda Town IIC Savitri Bal. Brajrajnagar SDPO Dillip Das said coal stolen from mines was seized by police and two brick kiln owners held too.