Land losers call off protest in Talcher Coalfield; CIL resumes production

NEW DELHI: State-run Coal India on Thursday said it has resumed production at its Talcher coalfields in Odisha after land oustees called off their nearly three week-long protest.

The protestors have been demanding jobs in lieu of the land they have lost because of the allocation of the Himgula coal mine in the area to a public-private joint venture, MJSJ Ltd.

Coal India had on Wednesday announced closure of the Talcher coalfield, the biggest in the country, that belongs to its subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields. The company had said it faced a daily production loss of 10,000 tonne of coal because of the closure

Coal India executives on Thursday said the protestors called off their agitation after the company promised to consider their demands.