Since last two to three days, the surface miner has not been working in Samleswari open cast mines under MCl Ib valley area. Due to non-lifting of coal, many buyers including sponge iron and power sectors, are facing problems having direct impact on their daily production target.
Sources said that Samleswari open cast mines management in Ib valley area of MCl are shedding tears on their problems due to less production as the surface miner has been out of order since May 21.
For this, coal buyers are complaining about low quality of coal generated in the mines, while the management is not taking any steps for solving the dispute. In this context, some coal transporters had met on last Friday SOCP Project Officer Baijayant Kumar, who replied that due to some technical problems, surface miner has been out of order.
However, he assured that soon it will be repaired and although as on date 80,000 tonne coal is in stock, it cannot come through loading machine. Anyway, Baijayant is hopeful of getting a solution shortly.
Ib Valley General Manger Madhusudan Sharma said that only the surface miner of the Samleswary is not working while another two surface miner machines of private companies are still working. We have decided to purchase a new surface miner but it will take time.
As regards poor quality of coal, he said that this is not true, as they are taking care of production of good quality coal. The allegations of the buyers that coal mixed with sand and stone are being offered for sale are not at all true, he stated.
On the other hand, a coal transporter alleged that the company will bear irreparable loss and penalty, if no coal is lifted within June 8.
He further said that the companies likely to lift the stock by June 8 are 21,000 tonne by M/s Aditya Birla, 33,000 tonne by Jharsuguda Vedanta, 4,000 tonne by Aryan Ispat and 14,000 tonne by Bhusan Iron and Steel Company. But due to surface miner being out of order this target seems to be almost impossible.
The management should take steps to resolve the problems within a short time, so that there will be no hurdles for the companies to achieve their production target,
he stated.