Rail blockade leads to coal crisis

TALCHER: The 1200 MW Nalco power plant had to shut down two units for want of coal as BJP activists staged a rail blockade demanding free medical facility to Talcher residents at Nalco Hospital. The blockade by local villagers under the leadership of BJP leader Kalandi Samal and Jajati Pattanaik near Gobara village halted coal dispatch to the plant. Nalco lifts about 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes of coal daily through this route.Though the BJP unit had given prior notice on the blockade, the administration did little to sort out the matter between the two warring parties. Nalco unlike NTPC and MCL did not open its hospital for the people of Talcher which has lead to resentment among the locals, said  Kalandi Samal.To salvage the situation, the administration later called a meeting of Nalco officials and the agitating BJP leaders. The Nalco officials have asked for 15 days to look into their demand. The blockade was finally removed in the afternoon to facilitate movement of coal to the plant.Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany on Friday took up the issue with the Union Mines Secretary Bijay Kumar.He demanded that Nalco should open its hospital for all the peripheral people immediately.