Due to the rising prices of cooking gas, the people in Talcher consider switching over to coal which is cheap and available easily. But of late, there is a coal crisis in the coal city.
There is no Government coal depot here where coal can be made available at fair prices to the residents for their daily needs. All that is available is stolen coal. Even though Talcher is a coal producing area, ironically the residents of the area are deprived of buying coal. Neither the Government nor the MCL looks bothered about it.
Common people are forced to use coal as fuel on a daily basis by giving money to some dishonest men, who secretly fetch coal from the nearby mining areas and sell it. Since this is a hazardous affair, those who die while stealing coal have to be cremated in the coal heap. Most unfortunately, even after death, a person cannot be cremated unless his/her kin depend on coal from black market.
Despite a persistent demand for a Government coal depot, no arrangements have been made by the authorities here to open one. Since firewood is a dream for the Talcher region, the authorities should consider opening a coal depot for authorized retail sale of coal to consumers, demanded the locals.