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Coal mining area residents to be reahabilitated

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday said that a suitable rehabilitation package would be given to those affected due to subsidence in coal mine areas in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The assurance came in response to a call-attention motion by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Basudeb Acharia on a situation arising out of subsidence of land in the entire coal belt in Asansol, Jharia and Raniganj. He demanded speedy steps to check the spread of subterranean fire and subsidence in coal mine areas.

Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury said that besides affecting a large number of local people, the fire has also posed a grave threat to the Delhi-Kolkata railway line, National Highway 2 and a major pipeline of the Indian Oil Corporation.

Replying to the motion, Minister of State for Coal Santosh Bagrodia said the Master Plan, involving construction of over 1.30 lakh houses where the people of the affected areas were to be resettled, would be implemented with the help of State governments and local bodies. He urged members to motivate people to leave their present homes and move to new areas.

Evacuation and resettlement of the people was “the only choice” and there was no shortage of funds for the purpose, the Minister said. Only the periphery of the Jharia town, and not the township itself, was affected.

Raniganj was also facing the brunt of the fire as “illegal and unscientific mining” had taken place there before mining activities were nationalised.

He said fire was raging in 67 areas while it had been defused in seven areas. Mr. Bagrodia said the estimated expenditure for implementation of the Master Plan in Raniganj and Jharia was Rs.2,300.42 crore and Rs.6,358.45 crore respectively. The plan involved dealing with fire and diversion of railway lines and road within 10 years, besides rehabilitating the people.

The Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority and the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority have been identified for implementation of the scheme with coal companies providing all technical support, he said.

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