By Bizodisha Bureau, Sambalpur, March 30, 2015 :

Agitated over the rejection by the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to the state government’s proposal for funding its Aahar [mid-day meal for urban poor] programme, the ruling Biju Janata Dal workers on Monday locked the public sector unit’s head office at Burla here.

The agitators led by BJD’s Rairakhol and Sambalpur MLAs Rohit Pujari and Dr Raseswari Panigrahi staged a demonstration in front of the MCL headquarters protesting the company’s decision to pull out from its agreement with the state government for the ‘Aahar’ scheme.

As agitators locked the premises, the employees who had come to join their duties had to leave for their homes without attending to their duties.

“We will continue our agitation till the management revokes its decision,” said Mr Pujari.

BJD workers also protested at MCL’s mines at Talcher affecting production and transportation of coal, an official of MCL said.

“There was no production and dispatch of coal from the mines of Talcher coalfields. Workers did not join the first shift at 6 am,” MCL public relations officer Dikken Mehra said.