November 15, 2018
Bangla Govt seeking merchant mining rights for Deocha Pachami
Considering the huge reserves in the newly-discovered coalfields of Deocha Pachami, and hence the possibility of excess amount of coal even after fulfilling the needs of Bangla’s power plants, the State Government will be seeking the Centre’s approval for merchant mining rights.
This was said by the State Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Minister Dr Amit Mitra while speaking at the Global Mining Summit 2018, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Eco Park on October 31.
Deocha Pachami will be used for Sagardighi phase-II and phase-III and Santaldih power plant projects as captive mines. It has been allocated to the State Government by the Centre and it is fully-owned by West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL).
There will be a direct investment of Rs 12,000 crore at Deocha Pachami, while the indirect investments would be five times higher. There will be an employment of 1.1 lakh people.
The minister said that once the State Government starts using Deocha Pachami for merchant mining, the private sector will be roped in.
Deocha Pachami is Asia’s largest and the world’s second largest coal block, with 2,102 metric tonnes of reserve.
Source: Millennium Post
