The landoustees of Solada village have been on an indefinite strike for the last three day protesting apathy of the MCl and pressing for a nine-point charter of demands.
They alleged that though about ten coal mines are in operation in the area for which the State Government has been earning good revenue, the villagers in the peripheral areas of the mines have been ignored. They said that the landoustees are yet to get their justified dues in Hingula and Balaram open cast coal mines.
A high power committee under chairmanship of the Chief Secretary on August 6 had asked the MCl authorities to provide jobs to around 1,150 persons within four months and another 100 persons in the next two months of the locality. But now seven months have passed and not a single person was given job, the protestors alleged. Notably, these villagers have handed over their land to the MCl in 2004.
Meanwhile, the local administration has enforced 144 CrPc in the MCl area to restore normalcy. Talcher MlA Braja Kishore Pradhan, the SDPO and the revenue officials reached at the spot and pacified the public. They also promised to settle the issues by March 21.