Coal India arm MCL sacks 126 employees

Coal India arm Mahanadi Coalfields today said it has terminated services of 126 employees for "violating" the terms and conditions of the appointment, on recommendations of a Odisha government panel.
"MCL (Mahanadi Coalfields) has taken disciplinary action against 126 employees and terminated their services for violating the terms and conditions of the appointment...This step was taken as per the recommendations of the Monitoring-cum-Coordination Committee in Coal Mines chaired by the Chief Secretary, Odisha," a company spokesperson told PTI.
These employees, who were inducted in the company in lieu of acquisition of their land were not only "obstructing coal mining operations for their vested interests" but were not ready to vacate the land at villages Hensmul and Jalinda despite the company acquiring it way back back and recruiting them between 1995 and 2005, the spokesperson alleged.

Disciplinary actions have to be taken against employees in the circumstances where their actions are against the company as well as the national interest, he added.
"Disciplinary action against erring employees also becomes a necessity so that the honest people in the service should never feel cheated," he said.
Mahanadi Coalfields is the youngest, but the second highest coal producing subsidiary of Coal India. About 60 per cent of its production comes from the mines in the Talcher Coalfields, the largest coalfields in India..

"Any obstruction in mining activity causes huge loss to the nation," he said, adding that the extreme step was undertaken as a disciplinary measure as workers were not ready to vacate the land despite repeated persuasions and several rounds of meetings.

"The erring employees had not vacated their houses, in the coal bearing areas acquired by the company, against which they have taken all R&R benefits, including employment in the company as well as monetary compensation and a piece of land to construct house at the R&R site in nearby area," the spokesperson said.
Out of these terminated 126 employees, 71 employees had also taken possession of company quarters.
The company said it has provided about 11,292 jobs to the land losers till December, 2013.
Mahanadi Coalfields, which was carved out of Coal India arms SECL and CCL in 1993, has 22,278 employees as of date.