NLC India Limited (NLCIL), a Navaratna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Coal, has commenced transportation of coal from coal blocks in Talabira II and III, Sambalpur, Odisha, to NLC Tamil Nadu Power Limited (NTPL), a joint venture company in Thoothukudi. NLCIL Chairman and Managing Director Rakesh Kumar flagged off the first carrier from Chennai virtually on Friday.

According to a release, the Talabira II and III blocks was allotted to the NLCIL by the Union Government on May 2, 2016, under the Coal Mines Special Provision Act, 2015, for optimum utilisation of collieries for end user plants like the Neyveli Talabira Thermal Power Plant (NTTPP) and the NTPL.

The mining activity started on December 11, 2019, and production commenced successfully on April 26, 2020, in spite of the pandemic. Accordingly, the NLCIL achieved a major milestone complying with the allotment conditions successfully by kick-starting coal transportation to Thoothukudi.