Coal news and updates

Black flag welcome to Union coal secretary

Union Coal Secretary Anil Swarup was greeted with black flags by coal workers during his maiden visit to Talcher coalfield on Thursday.

The agitators lined up on both the sides of the road from Dera Chhack to MCL guest house in protest against the Centre’s decision on disinvestment of Coal India and the Coal Ordinance that cleared the way for private sector participation in commercial coal mining.

The coal workers were led by four trade union leaders Souvagya Pradhan, Sankara Behera, Chaturbhuja Das and Ananda Acharya. After they were not allowed to meet Swarup, former chairman of Talcher block Digambar Garnaik, who was also among the agitators, accused the police of highhandedness.

In another development, Hingula open cast coal mine has been closed down by children of Bhalugadia village since Tuesday. Hingula is one of eight mega coal mines in Talcher. The children resorted to the closure after their parents were arrested for staging protest demanding employment in the company in lieu of their land.

The mine produces around 15,000 tonne of coal everyday and its production and despatch have been hit by the agitation.

Sources said the Union Coal Secretary met Angul Collector SR Jadav and SP Rajesh Pandit Uttam Rao and held talks with them over the issue. Swarup visited three coal mines including Bharatpur and Ananta where the production has come down. MCL CMD AN Sahay and Directors AK Tiwari, JP Singh, KK Parida and SC Panigrahi were present.

Swarup is scheduled to meet Chief Secretary GC Pati on Friday to discuss the contentious issues between Centre and State over diversion of coal blocks to power from steel sector.

The MCL, the second largest coal subsidiary of CIL, has been asked by the Ministry to produce 127 million tonne (MT) in the current financial year, a jump of 17 MT from the last financial year’s target of 110 MT.

Though MCL has been given a target to double its annual output by 2019, a downward trend in coal production by January-end has left the MCL and CIL officials worried.

The company, which was ahead of the target in November and December, fell behind by January 31. Its production stood at 97.8 MT against the target of 100.6 MT by January 31.

Source: The New Indian Express