Instruct Coal Ministry to settle NLC issue amicably: Jayalalithaa to PM

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct the Coal Ministry to settle the ongoing labour unrest at Neyveli Lignite Corporation "amicably", as any further delay would affect power supply situation.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation workers are on an indefinite strike since last month pressing for various demands including wage revision. This is the second time Jayalalithaa has written to the Centre seeking its intervention and requesting Modi to instruct the Coal Ministry to immediately look into the grievances of the NLC workers.

"There has been no positive development with regard to finding a solution to the strike by the Ministry of Coal. I have been informed that currently the workers have resorted to picketing against officers and contract workers, which would effectively stop mining of lignite and power generation," she said.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation is one of the main suppliers of power to Tamil Nadu and supplies about 1,450 MW to the state. "As a result of the ongoing strike, it is apprehended that about 2,990 MW of power production will be affected and Tamil Nadu alone will lose about 1,450 MW," she further added.

She requested Modi to instruct the Coal Ministry to immediately look into the grievances of the NLC workers and "settle the issue amicably". "Any further delay in the matter would adversely affect the power supply situation in Tamil Nadu and the Southern States," she said in the letter to Modi, a copy of which was released to the media.