Dhanbad Coal Mine Clash: BCCL Employees Injured, Operations Halt Amid Outsourcing Dispute

Dhanbad: A violent clash between employees of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and workers of Dev Prabha Outsourcing Company severely disrupted mining operations in the Lodna-10 area under the Teesra police station on Thursday.

The incident left four BCCL officials seriously injured and triggered strong reactions from the BCCL management, political leaders, and the outsourcing firm.According to BCCL officials, Dev Prabha Outsourcing Company, which has been engaged for contractual work in certain BCCL areas, allegedly crossed its authorised jurisdiction and began operations in the area of departmental mines run directly by BCCL.

The disputed site is reportedly located near the Lodna-10 outsourcing zone, close to departmental mines. When BCCL officials objected to the alleged encroachment and stopped the outsourcing workers from carrying out work in the departmental mining area, tensions escalated rapidly.BCCL officials alleged that, in retaliation, the workers turned violent and assaulted BCCL employees. In the ensuing clash, four BCCL officials — identified as Bipin Prajapati, Mukesh Chaudhry, Arjun Rajak, and Arun Kumar Singh — sustained serious injuries.

All four were rushed to the Central Hospital run by BCCL, where they are currently undergoing treatment. The incident led to panic in the area and brought work at the site to a halt.Expressing serious concern over the incident, BCCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) Manoj Agarwal said that an inquiry has been ordered to probe the matter. “Two senior officers have been sent to the spot to investigate the incident.

I have also spoken to the deputy commissioner regarding the situation. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty on the basis of the inquiry report,” Agarwal stated.Meanwhile, former Jharia MLA and Janata Mazdoor Sangh leader Sanjeev Singh reacted strongly, terming the attack on BCCL employees as unacceptable. He warned the outsourcing company to remain within its operational limits and said such incidents would not be tolerated.

Singh also cautioned of serious consequences if similar incidents were repeated in the future.On the other hand, Dev Prabha Outsourcing Company owner Lal Babu Singh denied the allegations leveled against his employees. He claimed that the company’s project in-charge, Shitla Prasad Singh, was brutally beaten by BCCL officials, following which outsourcing workers intervened to defend him. Lal Babu Singh further alleged that BCCL employees, believing the project in-charge had died, fled the spot in panic and were injured after falling, not due to any assault by outsourcing workers.Police complaints have been lodged by both sides at the Teesra police station. The police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the sequence of events and fix responsibility. The incident has once again highlighted growing tensions between departmental and outsourcing operations in coal mining areas.