Talcher: As many as eight coal projects were halted after Talcher Surakshya Manch staged economic blockade in the town asking a 5-point charter of demands to be fulfilled.
The agitators have blocked all the ways leading to coal production from all the coal mines in and around Talcher.
Similarly, they did not allow the coal transport system in eight mines.
Talcher Surakshya Manch, a forum of elite citizens, had submitted memoranda to the district administration to undertake various development proposals. The forum laid its demands to establish a new plant with the existing Thermal Power Plant (TTPS).
The committee has also demanded immediate employment to the land losers and homesteads along with the due provision of covering coal wagons as a measure to prevent pollution within Talcher coal-corridor.
The production and translocation Kalinga, Hingula, Kaniha, Mohanadi, Bhubaneswari, Lingaraj, Bharatpur, Ananta, Jagannath and Balaram open cast mines were severely affected.
Coal-based projects like TTPS, NTPC Kaniha, JITPL, Derang including Nalco are unable to have the required coal feed from these mines.
