Production begins at Talcher coalfields,locals call off strike

The agitating residents of Bhalugadia village in Angul district today called off their strike leading to normalcy in coal production after authorities of MCL assured jobs for the 62 land losers families within one month.
Villagers of Talcher coalfields area called off their strike, which had paralysed since yesterday all the projects and Areas offices of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)- a subsidiary of Coal India Limited- impacting over two lakh tonnes of daily coal production and supply, an MCL spokesman said.
The decision to withdraw their agitation was taken by the protesting villagers of Bhalugadia at a meeting convened by Angul district collector Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav and attended by district SP Rajesh Pandit, MCL Chairman-cum- Managing Director A N Sahay and other senior officers.

"MCL assured villagers that the company was taking appropriate actions and 62 families of Bhalugadia village in Gopal Prasad West Block, whose land was reallocated to MJSJ Ltd, would be offered jobs within a month," the PSU's spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the villagers also agreed to provide immediate possession of land to MCL, which is targeting mammoth 150 million tonnes coal production during current financial year.
Mining operations in the country's largest Talcher Coalfields in Odisha were totally stopped yesterday after villagers forced shut down at all the projects and Areas offices of MCL.