Hind Mazdoor Sabha protests at MCL headquarters in Odisha's Burla

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha staged a massive protest in front of the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited headquarters at Burla on Wednesday demanding action on a 16-point charter concerning workers, contractual employees, displaced families and project-affected communities.

The protest saw participation from thousands of workers, employees, displaced persons and affected residents from Talcher, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Deogarh and other coal-mining areas.

Addressing the gathering, HMS leaders alleged that despite MCL generating substantial revenue from coal mining in Talcher and Ib Valley areas, inadequate attention had been paid to employment, rehabilitation, healthcare, education, drinking water, roads, pollution control and other basic needs of affected communities.

The union demanded transparent utilisation of CSR funds, compassionate appointments in medical-unit cases, proper compensation and rehabilitation for displaced persons, and employment for locals in overburden removal and coal transportation companies.

Other demands included earned and medical leave for contractual workers, 100 per cent sand stowing and afforestation, medical facilities on par with permanent employees, stronger occupational safety measures and steps to curb air pollution.

Following the demonstration, the agitators took out a rally and held discussions with MCL general manager Uday Anant Kawale before submitting a memorandum. The HMS warned that protests would be intensified if its demands were not addressed at the earliest.

Express News Service reported that the protest began at 10:30 am and continued for over three hours, with participants marching from various coal-affected villages carrying banners and placards highlighting their grievances. Local residents from Sundargarh and Deogarh districts joined the demonstration, citing decades-long neglect in infrastructure development despite the region’s contribution to national coal output.

HMS state secretary Prahlad Kumar, speaking to the media after the rally, said, "We are not against development, but we demand that the benefits of coal mining reach the people who bear its cost. For years, we have seen profits flow out while our children lack schools, our patients lack medicines, and our lands remain degraded."

MCL officials, while not issuing an immediate public statement, confirmed receipt of the memorandum and stated that a committee would be formed to review the 16-point charter within seven days. General Manager Uday Anant Kawale assured the delegation that their concerns would be forwarded to the corporate office for appropriate action.

Environmental activists from Sambalpur also joined the protest, echoing HMS’s call for 100 per cent sand stowing to prevent land subsidence and urging stricter enforcement of afforestation norms under the Coal Bearing Areas Act. They highlighted rising cases of respiratory ailments in Ib Valley villages linked to airborne coal dust.

The demonstration concluded peacefully at around 2:00 pm, with organizers pledging to monitor MCL’s response and escalate actions if commitments were not honoured within the stipulated timeframe.