By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDALORE, MAY 23. Power generation in Neyveli resumed steadily today, though 15,000-odd employees of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation resorted to an ``indefinite strike'' since last night.

Addressing presspersons in Neyveli, Mr. A. K. Sahay, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NLC, said the generation stood at 900 MW this evening - 300 MW from the first thermal station and 600 MW from the second station. Tamil Nadu was eligible for cent per cent and 35 per cent of the generation from the first and second stations respectively.

The generation positively would touch 1,500 MW soon. ``It is a great achievement, especially in the light of the fact that the first station generated no power at all yesterday'', he added.

On mining, he said excavation operations also resumed today and a few lakh tonnes of lignite available at the first mine-cut was being used by the two stations. As of today, there was no excavation at the second mine-cut because of a problem, which, he said, would be solved by tomorrow.

The Chairman felt relieved that the tense situation, which resulted in a lathicharge by the CISF and State police on the NLC employees yesterday, eased. He ruled out the possibility of the strike prolonging for a week.

On the talks being held between the NLC executives and the employees' representatives, he said the wage revision was done last a decade ago. The revision, due in 1997, had to be delayed as the Centre wanted to come out with a common formula.

The Chairman said the union representatives made a comparison with the number of other Centrally-administered public sector undertakings, which could not be amalgamated on the Neyveli campus. ``Only minor points are being discussed in full detail'', he said indicating the talks would fructify.