Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the Dhankasa and Sharda underground coal mines in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh online. Two Union Ministers, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi were also present in a video conferencing ceremony.
More than one thousand people will get employment through these two underground coal mines of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. In the next four years, Coal India will start 20 mines, out of which 6 will be in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Chouhan had made efforts during his former tenure for both the mines inaugurated today.The mining work was formally started soon after the Chief Minister pressed the button. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi inaugurated the mine by pressing the button with remote.
A total of three mines including Sharda and Dhankasa mines in Madhya Pradesh and Aadasa mine in Maharashtra have been inaugurated.Chouhan expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister Modi, Union Minister Gadkari, Prahlad Joshi and Coal India.
Chief Minister Chouhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular. He said that with the opening of these two coal mines in Madhya Pradesh, a new chapter of development will begin.
Efforts were being made to start both these underground mines since the last tenure. Capital investment of Rs 458 crore from Dhankasa underground mine and Rs 57 crore from Sharda underground mine will be made. Both mines will produce 1.4 lakh tonnes of coal annually.
It may be noted that Madhya Pradesh ranks fourth in the country in coal production. The State produces 239 million tonnes of coal in a year through which the state receives revenue of Rs 2 thousand crore. Mining work is undertaken by Coal India Limited in six districts including Chhindwara, Betul, Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria and Singrauli. Of the 56 coal mines in the State, 23 are underground and 23 are open.
Of these, a total of 16 mines are operational in Madhya Pradesh, which are mainly in Chhindwara and Betul districts.
The Chief Minister said that Madhya Pradesh is a mineral-rich state with deposits of diamond, coal, methane gas, copper and limestone. While Madhya Pradesh is the most prominent State in diamond production, it is second in manganese and copper production and fourth in coal production in the country. Various measures are being taken to increase production of the chief minerals of the State.The two underground mineral projects Dhankasa and Sharda mines inaugurated by Chief Minister Chouhan by pressing the online button in Chhindwara district today, will not lead to annual production of 1.4 lakh tonnes of coal but also provide employment to about one thousand people.
Chouhan said that in this hour of Covid-19 crisis, after saving people and the country through lockdown and other arrangements, Prime Minister Modi gave the mantra that ‘Jaan bhi hai aur jahan bhi hai’. This means that economic activities have to start with life which is mandatory for the country’s economy. Chief Minister Chouhan said that he is grateful to the Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi for the amount of Rs 20 crores given in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Chouhan also said that as per the suggestions given by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, work will be done to realize the possibilities of production of coal-bed methane and urea in Madhya Pradesh.