Angul: Solada villagers in Angul district staged a sit-in protest at the Collector’s office Monday, demanding the reopening of Balaram coal mines, which has been closed since October 12 due to a dispute over coal transportation.
In the absence of the Collector, ADM Monday held a discussion with a five-member team of the agitating villagers and requested to call off their strike, promising their demand would be fulfilled in two days.
But the agitating villagers stuck to their plan to continue the strike till reopening of the mines. The strike is continuing till Tuesday, it was learnt.
Maa Kalapat Truck Owners’ Association, vice president, Gadadhar Sahu, who is leading the strike, said the strike would be withdrawn only after their demand was met.
According to village president Firoze Kumar Pradhan, 300 families depend on the transportation through trucks and 700 families are earning their livelihood by stretching tarpaulin over the coal-laden trucks. Since the mines have been closed down, these families are now facing difficulties to make their both ends meet.
There had been a discussion with the Collector February 25. For some days, the loading was normal. But later, some people of Danara village terrorised the truck owners of five nearby villages and did not allow their trucks into the loading sites.
Pradhan alleged that the truck owners have been requesting the administration to take steps to do away with the stalemate but to no avail. The mines have been closed down under the political pressure, he further alleged.
PNN
