TMC leader Chunnu Lal Mishra's threats may drive Eastern Coalfields to shut mine

KOLKATA: Eastern Coalfields, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, might be forced to shut down one of its mines if members of the unions continued to threaten its officials, the company said in a circular issued on Tuesday.

ECL officials had on Saturday alleged that a senior manager of the company was hospitalised after being beaten up by Chunnu Lal Mishra, who leads the Trinamool Congress labour arm INTTUC at the outfit, on Friday evening.

Around 17 officials of the JK Nagar colliery and office have started a fast-unto-death, demanding arrest of the accused. "The guilty has not been arrested yet despite an FIR being lodged at the local police station. He (Mishra) started threatening our officials and managers with 'dire consequences' and it has become impossible to continue work. In view of the deteriorating law and order con dition in the region, ECL has issued the circular. It says that the management might be forced to close the mine if the situation continued," said a senior CIL official.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, brushed the allegations aside, calling it "baseless” and "one-sided”.

The mine produces around 400-450 tonnes of coal every day and falls under the medium to large category. If ECL closes down the mine, it is expected to be a major setback

for the company, which is already suffering from reduced production because of monsoon and pollution issues.

Shailendra Kumar, agent of JK Nagar Colliery, alleged that he has lodged complaints with higher authorities at least on 10 previous occasions against Mishra's behaviour, but no action has been taken so far. Biswajit Ghosh, ADCP (central) of Asansol-Durgapur Police, said Nimcha police have received a complaint and have started a probe.