Extremist-affected latehar district has now a reason to smile. Sikni Coal Project began rolling out coal from today with Chief Minister Hemant Soren flagging off the coal laden trucks and making the day historic in many ways.
The Chief Minister had inaugurated the project in November last year. On the occasion CM said, “Government is working in the direction of making other closed mines in latehar district operational and soon a good result of this will be visible. This is the incumbent government’s sensitiveness and commitment for development.”
Mines spanning 133.7 acres out of a total of 410 acres under phase-II of the project were allotted to Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) after several hiccups due to controversy over mining lease and compliance by the corporation. The inoperative project which had drawn flak for the State government is likely to boost neighbourhood economy by providing means of livelihood to people directly or indirectly dependent on mining operations.
“Operation in Sikni will address the problem of unemployment and migration. This is a big achievement for the government,” added Soren.The coal mine is situated at 100-km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Daltonganj National Highway number 75.
However, the custodian of the project is still far from assessing the requirement of manpower needed to improve standard of living of people in its immediate vicinity. The JSMDC will initiate the process of ascertaining the requisite strength in a matter of few days and is said to be waiting for the dust to settle to contemplate any further addition in human resource.
“At least one-lakh people will be benefited after the start of production at Sikni,” said JSMDC Chairman Videsh Singh.
Despite too much of hype surrounding start of operations the JSMDC has persisted with the earlier model of pushing the produce in the market. Under the old arrangement, as many as five truck-loads of coals were flagged off by the CM on the first day of the production out of a total of 100 trucks. Unless decided otherwise the board of JSMDC will continue with selling the coal produced in the mines to those producing demand order for coal leaving it at the discretion of coal merchants to either sell the product in open market or supply it to any industrial unit.
“Right now there are around 50 to 60 DO holders. If they (coal merchants) fail to lift the quota that we will produce then we will try to obtain board’s clearance for either selling the produce in open market or to industrial units,” maintained the JSMDC Chairman.
The JSMDC is likely to produce around 40,000-tonnes of coal per day from the mines which has a coal reserve for five-years at the present rate of production, claimed the JSMDC Chairman.
Incidentally, the JSMDC has now turned its focus on starting operations at Jagaldaga open cast mines, also situated in latehar, and other defunct mine reserves under its command. The corporation has vowed to return the mines to the State government if its effort to start operations at closed mines draws a naught.