Hensmul villagers reject offer, call for bandh: MCL

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), a Coal India subsidiary, today said some villagers of Hensmul at Talcher Coalfields in Angul district of Odisha have called for indefinite bandh from Friday, a move that will hit its two mega mining projects and lead to coal shortages.
MCL had yesterday said that it has agreed to take back all the 122 employees in Odisha whose services were terminated for not vacating the land in lieu of which they were given employment.
"However, the villagers continued to reject all the offers and again have called for indefinite bandh from July 25," the company's spokesperson said.

The two mining projects are Bhubaneswari Open Cast Project (OCP) and Ananta OCP.
In all, 285 people of the village were provided jobs as a part of R&R package against their land, which included a permanent job in the company along with complete compensation for the land and home stead, the spokesperson said.
With regard to the resettlement, MCL also provided R&R site developed for the purpose at Gurjang, which was provided by the state government, he added.

The company had also offered an option of availing cash compensation of Rs 3 lakh each in lieu of plot in the R&R site or avail the 'Swarna Yojana Scheme' wherein if 20 or more people shift to a common site of their choice, then MCL provides necessary infrastructure like, boundary wall, road, lighting, etc, he said.

The spokesperson added that while 163 people have shifted, 122 people have refused all options despite holding several meeting under the aegis of state government, insisting on shifting to a particular site which was acquired by the company under the Coal Bearing Act which the company can not use for any other purpose except mining.
However, he said that as a goodwill gesture and keeping in view of the acute coal shortage being faced by the nation, MCL agreed to take up the matter with the Ministry of Coal for obtaining permission to divert the land for R&R site.
Delay in shifting of the villagers may result in loss of around 10 MT of coal in the current financial year from Bhubaneswari OCP, which inter alia may result in loss of around Rs 100 crore royalty to the state of Odisha and irreparable loss to the entire nation, he added.

Last month, Mahanadi Coalfields had suffered a production loss on account of mining operations at its two projects coming to a halt following protests by some villagers in Odisha.