Puja bonus strike by drivers paralyses Odisha's Talcher Coalfield
TALCHER: Amid the unprecedented energy crisis gripping the country, coal production and dispatch came to a grinding halt in Talcher Coalfield after private drivers and helpers engaged in the mines resorted to cease-work over Puja bonus on Monday.
Sources said that there was no coal production and dispatch from the coalfield on the day due to the stir by drivers and helpers engaged in eight mines. The agitators resorted to protest demanding Rs 40,000 from the contractors as Puja bonus. There are about 20,000 drivers and helpers engaged in mining operations by private contractors.
Talcher accounts for more than 60 per cent coal production of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), the flagship company of CIL and is feeding several power stations in seven states including Odisha.President of drivers and helpers association Narahari Sahu said, "We want Rs 40,000 as an ex-gratia amount. We reject the offer made by the coal company to give us one month salary as ex gratia. Drivers and helpers are engaged in all sorts of production and dispatch work in the coal mines round the year. So we deserve to get the amount as bonus."
An MCL official said as per the company's directive, the contractors have agreed to pay 8.33 per cent as ex-gratia to private drivers and helpers. "The demand for Rs 40,000 is beyond the provision of the law and not be acceptable to the private contractors who are required to pay the amount," he added.
Later in the day, a meeting was held at Angul collectorate between MCL officials and members of the drivers and helpers association. Angul Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, who chaired the meeting, said the agitators are yet to withdraw the strike. "However, the meeting ended on a positive note and I am hopeful that the cease-work would be called called off soon.
Talcher coalfield produces around three lakh tonne of coal per day and dispatches an equal amount to power stations located in Odisha and other states. The strike paralysed the coalfield at a time when the nation is passing through a crisis as power stations have coal stocks which will last a maximum of five days.