Angul, Jan. 7: Coal production and dispatch at Lingaraj mine in Talcher has come to a halt since this morning when villagers of Balugana began agitating for employment.

The Lingaraj coal mine is linked to the NTPC’s 3,000-MW super thermal plant.

About 200 villagers gheraoed the coal mine, dispatch points and other areas this morning, paralysing all activity. Coal supply from the mine to the NTPC power plant has stopped because of the strike.

The agitators were demanding employment for 85 “C” category land losers. The rehabilitation policy of Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL) states that jobs will be given only to A and B category land losers. From 2005, MCL stopped giving employment to C category persons, who lost either all their agricultural land or homestead land.

Colliery officer A.K. Panda said the 85 land losers are not eligible for employment because of the ban on employing C category land losers.

Before the order came into force in 2005, two batches of C category land losers had been given jobs.

“The state and colliery officials had assured us that we would get jobs and had even given us dates on which we would get these jobs. When that did not materialise, we were forced to stop work at the mine,” said local sarpanch Rangadhar Nahak.

Police have arrested six of the agitators.

Nahak alleged that police arrested six of the agitators when they were protesting peacefully, which led to tension. Calling the arrests “illegal and provocative”, Nahak warned this would not be helpful in finding a solution.

The general manger of Lingaraj mine, R.K. Srivastav, said the strike was illegal as there was a ban on giving jobs to C category land losers. He said he had been waiting for assistance from the state government since morning so that activities could resume at the mine. The situation at NTPC’s power plant has worsened because of the strike, as its low stock has further depleted. The power plant draws around 30,000 tonne of coal from the mine daily.