Title - Dhanbad blockade hits coal dispatch

An economic blockade enforced by Colliery Karmachari Sangh (CKS), a trade union affiliated with Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, brought transportation of coal to a standstill at several collieries of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) in Dhanbad today. CKS, which is up in arms against the coal companies' failure to pay compensation and provide jobs to the displaced of different mining projects, launched the blockade after talks with BCCL and ECL managements with assistant labour commissioner acting as a mediator could not take place on Tuesday. Another meeting between the BCCL management, led by director technical (operations) D.C. Jha, and representatives of the sangh also had to be cancelled due to delayed communication. The protesters, led by Bokaro MLA and CKS president Samresh Singh and working president Sanjay Choubey, started arriving at the loading points and weighing house of various collieries since early morning and prevented dispatch of work through road. Transportation of coal through rail was also stopped as the agitators did not even spare the Central Pool railway siding and BNR railway siding. Singh himself visited different areas of BCCL and CCL in Nirsa and Jharia to rally behind the protesters. The worst affected collieries were Hariajam, Rajapur, Baramar, Sudamdih, Moonidih, Patherdih, Digwadih and Bhalgara (BCCL), Central Pool (CCL) and Manman (ECL). "The seriousness of BCCL towards meeting our demands can be gauged from the fact that we received the offer for talks around 4pm, just half an hour before it was supposed to take place," said Singh. He cited the example of one Hiramuni Devi, whose land was taken by BCCL in Mugma area but no job or compensation was provided to her, to highlight the uncaring attitude of the coal companies.