Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra on Monday, after chairing a high-level meeting here, informed that a common railway corridor will be developed in Rampia block in IB Valley of Sundergarh for lifting of coal.
The meeting revealed that Rampia Coal Mines and Energy Private limited (RCMEPl) has been allocated two coal blocks located in the IB Valley area. The company has been formed as a joint venture consisting of six firms namely lanco Group, Sterlite Energy, GMR Energy, Arcellor Mittal India, Navabharat Power and Reliance Infrastructure ltd, for developing the Rampia coal mines.
Mohapatra directed the authorities to identify alignment of the line and ensure that few human habitations are affected and forest lands diverted, besides directing IDCO and MCl to for implementation of the project.
Sources said the total reserve in these mines is around 645 MT of coal. This is said to cater to the need of Sterilite’s 1,000MW IPP and Reliance’s 1,000MW IPP in Jharsuguda, GMR’s 1,000MW IPP and lanco’s 1,000 MW IPP in Dhenkanal and Arcellor’s 750 MW CPP at Keonjhar. The MCl has also major coal blocks in the area.
For evacuation of coal from these mines, a common railway corridor will be developed with equity participation from the State Government and the MCl. The meeting too proposed that the IDCO and the MCl would start a joint venture company in which other partners may join later on. Shares will be held by the IDCO, the MCl and other user companies.
The common corridor will reduce land requirement and forest land diversion problem. The MCl has been nominated as the lead member to formulate common alignment plan of the corridor in consultation withother partners.