Chief Minister Hemant Soren today chaired a meeting with Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, M Nagaraju at Chief Minister's Residential Office, regarding commissioning of 29 coal blocks located in Jharkhand. In the meeting, the Chief Minister was apprised of that excavation work has already started in 3 out of 29 coal blocks of the State and in the coming few months with the joint efforts of the Central and State Government, excavation work will start in Keredari, Chatti Bariatu, Badam, Tubed, Tokisud and Lohari coal blocks.

Information was laid before the Chief Minister by the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines that positive efforts are being made by the officials of the Central and State Governments to start the mining work in these 6 coal blocks.

It should be the priority of all of us that excavation work can start in these 6 coal blocks soon, he said.

The CM directed the Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Mines, to ensure that the allottees of various coal mining companies comply with the Jharkhand Act. According to the rules of the State government, it should be ensured on a priority basis that 75 per cent of the manpower working in the mining companies should be from Jharkhand. The Additional Secretary of the Union Ministry of Mines assured the Chief Minister that 75 per cent of the manpower of the State would be used after meeting with the allottees of various coal mining companies.

The Additional Secretary of the Union Ministry of Mines placed it before the Chief Minister that the State Government should undertake the work of constructing a new road from Pachwara coal block in Pakur district to Dumka. With this, the transport facility will be available. In this regard, the Chief Minister said that the construction of the road will adversely affect the environment there.

It may be better that the Central government should work to build a dedicated railway line on that route so that the people living in the surrounding area can get a clean environment.

In the meeting, a special discussion was held on the positive steps being taken by the officials of the Central and State Government to start many more call blocks.

State Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, Additional Chief Secretary L.Khiyangate, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Rajiv Arun Ekka, Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey, Secretary Mines Pooja Singhal, Director of Mines Jitendra Kumar Singh were present on the occasion.