The deaths of two people suspected of stealing coal from moving train wagons are a prime example of the resurgence of the illegal coal trade in Coal Belt Township.
Release Date – 11:00 PM, Mon – 16 January 23
pedapari: The coal mafia appears to have resumed its activities in the Ramagundam coal belt area. The mafia, which stayed away from businesses for a while following a police crackdown, which also invoked the Preventive Detention Act against some illegal businessmen, appears to have resumed its activities, as several recent incidents suggest.
The deaths of two people suspected of stealing coal from moving train wagons are a prime example of the resurgence of the illegal coal trade in Coal Belt Township. NTPC police had registered a case against three people two weeks ago.
On January 5, Namani Srinivas, a daily wage laborer from Elkalapalli, fell off a moving coal truck and died instantly near the Poratpalli Pochamma temple in the suburb of Elkalapalli. His body was split in half after he fell under the train.
In another incident, Karru Rajaiah was electrocuted at CSP on October 8 last year. A resident of Bapujinagar, Rajaiah once climbed on top of train cars to collect coal. However, he touched a high voltage power line above the train and died instantly.
There have been numerous incidents of people losing limbs after falling under moving trains trying to steal coal from train carriages. Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) transports coal by train wagons from its coal blocks to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and other industries.
SCCL sources said illegal traders were stealing coal from train cars at certain locations by approaching locals, especially young people. Later, they sold the coal to brick factories and small businesses. Coal was stolen from certain locations like CSP colony, Bapujinagar, Ramnanagar, Sanjay Gandhi nagar, Elkalapalli and Elkalapalli gate. To this end, unscrupulous traders also formed groups with local youths.
When coal-laden trains stopped or slowed down at signal stations, young men would get on and throw the coal out of the car. They hop off as the train starts moving, and the whole thing takes less than five minutes.
Later, they move the coal to the dumping point, from where it is transported at night by tractors, automatic trolleys and small trucks to brick kilns and other industries. According to sources, the young men are paid around Rs 30-50 per 25kg bag of coal.
When contacted, NTPC deputy inspector B Jeevan said they had filed cases against three persons including Vakulabaranam Srinivas in connection with the illegal coal business. SI said they had not received any complaints from NTPC or Singareni management regarding coal theft.
