ANGUL: Production and transportation of coal at the Talcher mine of the Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) remained paralysed on Thursday following the cease work by contractual workers in protest against police inaction in the alleged attack by armed miscreants at the Lingaraj mine two days back.
As per sources, armed miscreants had on Tuesday night allegedly barged into the Lingaraj mine and attacked the workers and security staff. They had reportedly also ransacked the colliery offices and damaged instruments there. Three contractual workers were injured in the attack. Though police had registered a case, no arrests have yet been made in this connection causing resentment among the workers.
Contractual workers’ association leader Narahari Sahoo said the cease work will continue till the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of MCL and the district collector hold a meeting and guarantee safety of the contractual workers. The cease work has, meanwhile, become a cause of concern as coal production and despatch has come to a grinding halt at Talcher which provides coal to power sectors in 10 states. Around 12,000 to 15,000 contractual workers are engaged in key areas of production and despatch and three lakh tonne of coal produced and despatched per day.
Terming the cease work as unfortunate, MCL director AK Borah said NTPC power station at Kaniha is facing coal shortage due to the strike. Though Talcher sub-collector Samir Kumar Jena called a meeting with the agitating workers, they insisted that a high-level meeting be convened in association with the CMD of MCL.
Angul SP Rahul Jain said police have received a complaint from MCL authorities and appropriate action will be taken as per law.