JEYPORE: Work at Nalco mines and plant at Damanjodi resumed following talks between the land displaced persons and the district administration late on Saturday night.
In the evening, officials of Nalco, district administration and leaders of the land displaced persons held discussions following which it was decided to resume talks to end the deadlock.
However, the agitators demanded release of the arrested persons before resumption of talks. The administration relented following which Nalco employees were allowed to resume work at Panchpatmali mines late at night.
In a marathon meeting involving people’s representatives, agitators and officials of district administration and Nalco, it was decided that a committee will be formed to address the issues.
The panel will comprise agitators and Nalco’s officials from Bhubaneswar and Damanjodi. It was also decided that matters beyond the purview of local officials will be placed for consideration before Union Steel and Mines Ministry.
At the meeting, the Nalco officials were urged to undertake peripheral development to prevent such incidents in future.
“There was a meeting involving all parties concerned to address the genuine demands of protestors and we will take care of it in the future,” said a senior manager of Nalco. He said production at Nalco’s plant and mines has resumed.
Among others, Koraput MLA Raghuram Padal, Laxmipur MLA Prabhu Jani, Pottangi MLA Pritam Padhi, State Seeds Corporation chairman Eswar Panigrahi, Nalco executive director RS Dash and officials of district administration were present in the meeting.
With this, the four-day long standoff due to which the Navaratna PSU had to bear production losses has come to an end.
The agitation spot had turned into a war zone on Saturday as the protestors pelted stones on police persons prompting the district administration to impose section 144 of CrPC in the area. Fifty persons were arrested for rioting.