Truck owners have acknowledged with appreciation the initiative of the Angul district administration to put coal transportation from the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited’s (MCL) Talcher coalfields on “first come, first serve” basis.
The new system has been put into practice from this year with the help of the district administration to help truck owners, particularly local educated youths, in business to work without hindrances and manipulations of transport unions.
With “first come, first serve”, all Talcher coalfields have “disseminated a ray of hope among in-numerable defenceless and voiceless truck operators of Talcher as hassle-free loading and genuine freight will act as a sheet-anchor for their survival and sustenance,” read an e-mail received by the MCL CMD.
“We have received very positive feedback on ‘first come, first serve’ system placed for road sale of coal,” said the CMD, adding that the truck owners, particularly local youths in transport business, have become direct beneficiaries due to this system.
Educated youths of Talcher have entered into coal transportation as a source of alternate and all-weather employment to earn their livelihood. Creation of sector associations in each mine had created situation that a truck cannot be loaded from the mine without their permission and the freight is kept in their domain.