Andhra Pradesh - Khammam   

Coal mine strike continues

PHOTO: G.N.RAO

AITUC activists staging a demonstration in front of a coal mine in Sattupalli on Tuesday in protest against the alleged heavy deployment of police forces at the coalmines. —

KHAMMAM: Protests by the activists owing allegiance to the CPI and its frontal organisation AITUC against the alleged huge deployment of the police forces at the mines in the coal belt marked the second day of the indefinite strike called by the AITUC affiliated Singareni Collieries Workers Union in Kothagudem on Tuesday.

Scores of the protesters staged a dharna in front of the head office of the SCCL in Kothagudem in protest against the alleged heavy presence of police at the mines and offices of the company.

Kothagudem MLA K. Sambasiva Rao and others participated in the stir. The protesters raised slogans accusing the company management of trying to suppress the strike by force.

Tension mounted at the entrance of the SCCL head office in the coal town when the police forcibly dispersed the protesters who laid a virtual siege to the entrance.

Later, speaking to newsmen Mr. Sambasiva Rao alleged that the company management was pursuing a hostile policy towards the striking miners and trying to create a division among the workforce in a desperate bid to weaken the strike.

Management plea

The SCCL sources maintained that only 15,549 miners abstained from work during the first shift in all the mines of the company spread across the four districts including Khammam.

The company has produced 1.53 lakh tonnes of coal as against its usual daily production of 1.68 lakh tonnes on the first day of the strike on Monday, sources added.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Kothagudem on Tuesday evening the SCCL Director (Operations) J.V. Dattatreyulu, Director (Finance & Personnel) S. Vivekananda and Director (Electrical & Mechanical) I.V.N. Prasad Rao urged the leaders of the recognised union to refrain from acts that would spoil the atmosphere .

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