Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) today resumed coal production from its 40 million tonnes per year capacity projects under Jagannath Area in Angul district of Odisha after district administration removed the blockade set up by some people obstructing mining operations.
"Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) today resumed coal production from its 40 million tonne (MT) per year capacity projects under Jagannath Area in Angul district of Odisha, following district administration removing the blockade by 122 people obstructing mining operations," it said in a statement.
The company said it has production capacity to the tune of one lakh tonne per day in projects in Jagannath Area.
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"Closure of mining operations at Jagannath Area, which has the production target of about 40 million tonnes for 2014-15, would mean snapping off fuel line to the power plants in Tamil Nadu, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh," it said.
For expansion of its 25 MT capacity Bhubaneswari OCP, MCL requires Hensmul village it had acquired long back under Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act after providing all R&R benefits to the villagers, including employment and compensation package under rules, it said.
As villagers continue to occupy their dwellings in Hensmul village in the mining zone, the company would have no other option but to close down operations under Jagannath Area by October or November as there was no room left for mining in view of safety norms due to presence of people in Hensmul, it said adding it might cost loss of around 120 lakh tonnes coal production during the current financial year.
Out of a total 285 people who were given jobs in the company and allotted plots in the rehabilitation site provided by Odisha government in nearby Gurjang, 122 people had refused to vacate their dwellings despite continuous persuasion by the civil administration and company authorities and obstructed operations at two mega projects - Bhubaneswari OCP and Ananta OCP, the MCL statement said.
It is noteworthy to mention that out of 122 workers from Hensmul who had been dismissed from job, 79 also had company-provided quarters, it said.
In line with the decision taken at the tripartite meeting held on July 6 under the aegis of the district administration, MCL on July 12 appealed to all 122 project affected people terminated from jobs to refrain from agitation in view of minutes of the meeting, the release added.
