Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) is preparing an action plan to start coal production in the Naini block, allotted to it in Odisha, by March 2021.
At the Area General Managers meeting of SCCL held here on Tuesday, SCCL Chairman and Managing Director N. Sridhar stated that permission to pay compensation of ₹450 crore for forest lands in the coal block area and taking up railway line to the coal block in joint venture would also be discussed at the next board meeting of the company.
Mr. Sridhar stated that the target of coal production for the next financial year was fixed at 67 million tonnes and that of over burden removal at 450 million cubic meters. For Naini, the initial production target would 5 million tonnes a year and it would be later scaled up to 10 million tonnes. The Naini block has reserves of about 350 million tonnes of coal.
He discussed about the mines in which coal production was planned to be commenced from the next year and also on the plans for production in Naini and New Patrapada blocks allotted to the company. The Area General Managers were given timelines for various pre-production works in the Naini and New Patrapada blocks. He asked the officials concerned to put in efforts to get all necessary clearances in time.
Land acquisition
Officials explained that the process of forest, government and private land acquisition for Naini was speeded with the cooperation of the Revenue and Forest department officials of Angul district in Odisha. They further stated that the company had to pay ₹450 crore as compensation for acquiring 783.27 hectares land and would be included in the agenda for the next board meeting for clearance where clearance for the feasibility report would also be taken.
The Singareni CMD directed the officials concerned to complete the acquisition of private lands in three villages by June this year and pursue for environmental clearance till July-end. He also wanted the officials to appoint an agency for development and operation of the mine in June-July so that coal production could be taken up by March 2021.
Rail link
On the rail link to Naini block, the Singareni has decided to enter into a joint venture with Coal India for constructing a railway line. In the New Patrabada coal block with about 1,000 million tonnes reserves, he directed General Managing (Naini) Vijaya Rao to take up drilling work with the help of private agencies for preparing a mining map. In Naini, a comprehensive mining map was already developed by sinking 54 bore holes.
As part of the coal production target for Singareni, 5 million tonnes of additional production would be added from the five new open cast mines.
