Indefinite Blockade at DVC Chandrapura Thermal Power Station Sparks Power Supply Concerns

Bokaro: Tension escalated at the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) Chandrapura Thermal Power Station in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Tuesday after local residents and contract workers launched an indefinite blockade of the plant’s main gate, demanding better employment opportunities and increased workdays.

The protesters are demanding that contract workers, who currently receive work for only 13 days a month, be provided employment for 26 days every month. They argue that the existing arrangement is inadequate to sustain their families and are seeking immediate intervention from the DVC management.

The agitation is being led by Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto, who has been supporting the workers’ demands. Protesters had been holding a sit-in demonstration for the past several days before intensifying the movement by blocking the plant’s entrance indefinitely from Tuesday morning.

According to police sources, discussions between MLA Jairam Mahto and the DVC management failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting the protesters to continue the blockade. Security personnel have been deployed around the power station to maintain law and order, while the situation remains tense but under control.

Officials fear that if the impasse continues for long, operations at the Chandrapura Thermal Power Station could be affected, potentially impacting electricity generation. With DVC playing a significant role in supplying power to Jharkhand and several eastern states, a prolonged disruption could lead to wider concerns over power availability if the deadlock is not resolved quickly.

Efforts are expected to continue to find a negotiated solution between the protesters and the DVC management to restore normal operations.