ANGUL: Police on Monday arrested 16 protestors, hours after the Talcher Medical College Action Committee (TMCAC) resorted to blocking railway tracks to stop coal transport as part of the economic blockade. The outfit had called Talcher bandh and a 72-hour economic blockade, demanding government notification on the exact date of opening of the medical college.
Reacting to the arrests and terming it "unfair" as the protest was peaceful, action committee member Digambar Garnaik said the economic blockade will continue even after many leaders were taken into police custody. Sources said rail traffic of coal wasn’t much affected as many leaders of TMCAC were arrested.
Colliery IIC R Patnaik said, "Within hours of blocking the coal movement, we arrested 16 action committee leaders and managed to clear the traffic. Coal movement on train resumed after that." Those arrested were produced in court.