Team News Riveting
Raipur, August 29
National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) would acquire land for its two coal projects in Jharkhand by exercising the clauses bestowed in the Coal Bearing Areas Act.
In 2019, the Union Ministry of Coal had allocated two coal blocks to country’s largest iron ore producer namely Rohne and Tokisud North under Section 5(1) of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act 2015. Both the blocks — located at an aerial distance of 10-15 km apart — are situated in the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
While Rohne has coking coal reserve, Tokisud North is endowed with steam coal.
“Since there is difficulty in getting land clearances, we are now going through coal bearing areas act root,” NMDC Director (Production) D K Mohanty said at the 64th Annual General Meeting of the company today.
The Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957 (20 of 1957) provide for the acquisition of land containing or likely to contain coal deposits and for matters connected therewith. Under the provisions of this Act, the land is acquired for Government Companies only for coal mining and activities strictly incidental to mining purposes.
Mohanty said the process was supposed to be completed this year and the company would start its activities from next year.
Rohne coal block has extractable reserves of 191 million tonnes (MT) and planned production capacity of 8 MT per annum while Tokisud North coal block has extractable reserves of about 52 MT of thermal coal and planned production capacity of 2.32 MT per annum.
