Villagers in Deogarh staged a late-night road blockade under the leadership of MLA Romanch Ranjan Biswal, protesting the district administration’s approval for coal transport through Budhapal panchayat.
The district collector recently granted permission to Singareni Collieries Company to transport coal from Naini mines in Angul district through Deogarh’s Budhapal panchayat villages. The approval, issued on May 22, allowed coal-laden trucks to move along the Sendha–Luhurakote road between 10 pm and 5 am.
As the company prepared to resume transport on Monday night, hundreds of villagers from Sendha, Gambharipal, and Luhurakot blocked the road around 9 pm. Men and women sat on the road demanding the withdrawal of the permission, citing fears of road damage, dust pollution, and accidents.
MLA Romanch Ranjan Biswal joined the protest along with local leaders, including sarpanch Dillip Kumar Acharya, chairperson Pabani Dehuyi, and secretary Dushmanta Behera. Police led by SDPO Ramesh Mahananda and officers from Kundheigola station attempted talks but failed to reach a resolution. Heavy police deployment was made to maintain law and order.
Villagers argued that coal transport through narrow rural roads would endanger lives and worsen conditions. They had earlier approached the collector’s grievance cell but returned disappointed. The protest forced the administration to temporarily suspend coal truck movement.
Officials confirmed that nearly 20 trucks loaded with coal were ready to move under security cover but remained halted due to the blockade. The company had planned to transport nearly five lakh metric tons of coal, but operations have remained stalled since March due to local opposition.
