Villagers end stir in MCL mines at Talcher

By Bijay RoutAngul, June, 28: The agitating Hensmul villagers who paralysed two mega coal mines at Talcher on Friday for indefinite period have deferred their stir for seven days on the assurance of local administration.As a result the two mines – Bhubaneswari and Ananta – resumed coal production and despatch from Saturday afternoon.“We appealed to strikers and they agreed to give us seven days time so that w e will again talk with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and villagers about the issues.We will also meanwhile search for other alternative sites for the shifting of the displaced villagers.Now they will just continue dharna in front of these two mines but will not obstruct any mining or dispatch work at the coal mines.” said Talcher Sub-Collector Saroj Kumar Samal.Talks will be on mainly two points – on new rehabilitation site and the revocation of termination order, he added.The village leader Parsuram Sahu said they agreed to postpone their mine bandh stir seven days following request by local administration.The aggrieved villagers cornered by MCL authorities on Friday closed two mines at Talcher which produce one lakh tonne of coal and despatch the same amount per day.Hundreds of armed police and magistrates were mobilized to the striking spots raising tension in entire Talcher coalfield on Saturday.Meanwhile, MCL in a press statement said it incurred loss of one lakh tonne coal production on Friday as mining operations at two projects of this Coal India subsidiary came to grinding halt following the protest by the villagers at Talcher.At least 122 people, who have been terminated from service for not vacating their structures in Hensmul village near Bhubaneswari OCP, were protesting to press for their demand to be reinstated in company’s job and relocated to a place in coal bearing area.A total 285 people were provided job in the company as a part of compensation package against their land and offered plots at a nearby place called Gurjang where the Company had developed an R&R site provided by the Odisha government for the rehabilitation of project affected people.Civil administration as well as company management organised several meetings with the occupants of the land near the mining project to persuade them to vacate their structures and not to obstruct mining operations, but they demanded relocation to a place which is surrounded by three main mining projects of the company – Bhubaneswari OCP, Lingraj OCP and Ananta OCP.The company had offered many options to the villagers, including shifting to any place of their choice other than coal bearing area and cash compensation in lieu of authorised plot at the R&R site.Lately, the MCL also offered around 17 acres of area to shift to a site in front of Blanda College, which is subject to government’s approval and assured that they would be reinstated after they vacate existing structures at Hensmul.