Expansion of two coal mining projects of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in West Burdwan’s Pandaveswar and Andal have been stalled because of hindrance caused allegedly by local Trinamul Congress leaders.

The ECL claimed that it was incurring a loss to the tune of Rs 24 lakh per day because of the hindrance.

The ECL and the outsourced agency engaged in excavation have lodged complaints with police.

Trinamul district leadership, however, said the party would not support or tolerate such incidents and asked the the police to take proper action.

Local Trinamul MLA and Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA) chairman Tapas Banerjee said this was not the policy of the party and chief minister Mamata Banerjee was very strict against such activities.

“We have asked the police to take immediate action in this matter,” he said.

The allegations come at a time when Mamata from the administrative review meetings in neighbouring Purulia and Bankura cautioned her party workers not to get involved in such incidents and asked the police to take action whenever they receive such complaints against anyone irrespective of their political affiliation.

Sources said Coal India had taken up projects of setting up new coal mines, mostly open cast mines, across the country to enhance production of coal. The work has been expedited following a deficit in coal production across the nation resulting in a crisis in the power sector, which is the largest consumer of coal.

The ECL — a Coal India subsidiary — has set up Open Cast Mines (OCP) through various outsourced agencies in its leasehold areas spread in West Burdwan and part of Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and neighbouring Jharkhand.

In Andal’s Shinduli, the coal major is setting up an OCP in its leasehold area from where the company has plans to excavate 2.10-lakh tonnes of coal in the next one year. The ECL has already shifted people from the area and also promised proper compensation and rehabilitation as per Coal India guidelines.

“We had also initiated meetings with the villagers on compensations and rehabilitation according to the Coal India guidelines before starting the project. The process is on. But local Trinamul-run gram panchayat chief Shyamalendu Adhikary who is misguiding and leading the villagers to create trouble,” said Rajkishore Prakash Singh, an official at ECL’s Shinduli Colliery.

Singh said the work has been stalled since May 12.

“The panchayat leader was also present in the meetings and the rehabilitation package was finalised in his presence. We are working on the rehabilitation package. But he is intimidating workers and has been stopping work frequently. This time work is stalled since May 12 and we are incurring a loss to the tune of Rs 24 lakh per day,” he said.

The ECL has a target to excavate 2.10-lakh tonnes of coal in the next one year from the OCP. “This financial loss and delay in the project were worrying in this time of coal crisis across the nation,” said Singh.

The contractor engaged by the ECL for the excavation work alleged that Adhikary has been demanding money from him to ensure smooth work. Both the ECL and the contractor have lodged complaints with the police against Adhikary.

However, Adhikary said the allegation of demanding money and obstructing work were false.

“The villagers are annoyed with ECL as they have not yet rehabilitated them permanently. My party is for the people. The ECL is only concerned with doing business but the people here are suffering,” he said.

“I am fighting for them and so the ECL is bringing false allegations against me. If the contractor fails to prove his allegation of demanding money from him, I will file a defamation suit against him,” he said.

In nearby Pandaveswar, a contractor has lodged a complaint with the police on Sunday against a Trinamul trade union leader Uttam Mandal for allegedly demanding Rs 1 lakh from him to ensure smooth work before he starts work.

In his complaint, Chanchal Sarkar, a representative of the agency, alleged that Mandal had stopped unloading of machinery and stopped work until he would be paid.

Mandal, however, said he had requested the agency to engage local unemployed youths in the unskilled jobs but did not demand money or stall work.

“I am ready to face the police investigation. I am innocent. I have only requested them to engage local youths in the work,” he said.

INTTUC president in West Burdwan, Abhijit Ghatak, said he was aware of the complaint but Uttam Mandal was not a member of his trade union.

“I have asked the police to take necessary action. He is not our party or trade union member,” he said.

Police said they were investigating the complaints.