Coal production at MCL collieries remain affected for three days as agitators continued to squat before the gate preventing transport services. There has been no respite from the agitators, consisting mainly of four villages who are displaced/affected due to mining at Basundhara and Kuluda mines.

The villagers yesterday stopped loading of coals at Sardega railway siding of Basundhara mines and this led to mild tension. The local administration intervened and MCL stopped loading of coal.

The villagers of Balinga, Gopalpur, Tunudia and Jhumpuragaon are sitting on indefinite dharana. Scores of lorries both loaded and waiting for the consignment to be loaded are stranded. The agitators have given a memorandum to the collector Sundergarh. Their demands were pollution control, employment to the locals, compensation etc.

Speaking to media Sudharani Roudia, Chairman Panchayat Samiti Hemgiri said, “we need proper rehabilitation for the displaced persons, proper pollution control measures at the excavation site and also near the villages, employment to the deserving candidate and also clearing some of the dues long pending to some of the displaced persons.”

Reacting to question Sarpanch of Gopalpur, one of the worst affected areas, Khyamasila Majhi said, “let them adhere to the 2010 verdict of the Supreme Court in which the MCL has been directed to set up new survey at the displaces villages and then take necessary actions, besides, giving stress on peripheral activities in the affected areas under CSR schemes.”

Another local and CPM leader Rajendra Pradhan cautioned that this would continue for indefinite period and the administration and MCL authority must listen to them.

IIC Hemgiri PS Sradhanjali Subudhi informed that despite sizeable numbers participating in the demonstration it remained peaceful. “There has been complete closure of production and transportation of coal and it has remained peaceful. At this moment the leaders of the demonstrators are in a closed door meeting with the administration for a solution,” informed the IIC.

When contacted ADM Sundergarh Bhaskar Chandra Turuk confirmed that the meeting was going on. “The entire administration led by Collector, SP, sub-collector, higher officials of MCL led by the GM and the agitator and others are in a meeting at the collector office,” said the ADM.

Regarding the issue he said, “certainly the agitators’ are not demanding anything illegal, they are just. They ask for pollution control measures, and implementation of CSR activities and adherence to the 2010 SC verdict, so where is an unjust demand.”