Coal production at Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has been affected, as the strike by workers entered the third day on Saturday.
The workers of the State - Owned SCCL are on strike in protest against the Union Coal Ministry's decision to auction four coal blocks in the state for commercial mining along with others across the country. They are also demanding that the four coal blocks should be allocated to the company, among others.
The State Government has also extended its support to the workers. The leaders of the Joint Action Committee of the striking workers are likely to meet the officials of the Union Coal Ministry in Delhi on December 15 for discussions.
According to official sources, about 23,000 workers are participating in the strike, while only 3,500 have been attending to essential duties for the last two days.
According to unconfirmed estimates, the loss of coal production has been pegged at about 3 lakh tonnes so far.