The 18-hour-long protest by villagers following a fatal mine collapse at the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) Karma Project in Ramgarh district ended on Sunday morning after an agreement was reached between the villagers and the CCL management.

Four villagers lost their lives when a portion of the open-cast mine collapsed during an alleged illegal coal mining operation. In the aftermath, enraged villagers staged a protest with the bodies at the gate of the Project Officer’s office, demanding compensation and accountability.

Advertisement

Multiple rounds of talks involving district administration officials, police, and CCL representatives initially failed to break the deadlock. However, a fresh round of negotiations held early Sunday morning in the presence of senior administrative officers led to a breakthrough.

Under the agreement, CCL will pay Rs 1.70 lakh to the families of each deceased victim, while an additional Rs 30,000 will be provided by the Revenue Department, bringing the total compensation to Rs 2 lakh per family.

The CCL has also committed to covering the full cost of treatment for the injured and providing employment in outsourcing projects to one family member of each deceased.

Following the settlement, the villagers called off the protest, and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about security and monitoring lapses at the mining site.

CCL officials have refrained from making public comments, but off-camera, a senior mining officer claimed that such incidents of illegal mining occur frequently and are beyond the company’s direct control. He added that FIRs would be filed against the deceased and others involved in unauthorized coal extraction.