Singareni officials in Hyderabad are excited about the Naini Coal Block, which produces one million tonnes of coal per year. The Central Coal Ministry granted this coal block to Singareni in 2015, but there have been delays in getting all the necessary permissions. Singareni has been diligently submitting required documents and paying dues. They have obtained stage-1 and stage-2 permissions to acquire the forest land for the mine.
To move forward with the acquisition of 783.27 hectares of forest land, Singareni must first count and remove the trees in that area. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka asked the state’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for permission to proceed with this step, and the Chief Minister agreed. A rehabilitation committee meeting was scheduled to discuss compensation for villagers who will be relocated due to the mining activities.
The Naini Coal Block needs a total of 912.79 hectares of land, but only 17.69 hectares of government land is available. Singareni requested the immediate transfer of this government land. They plan to transport the coal via railway siding at Jarpada, but the road from Chandi Pada village to Jarpada Siderug needs widening and strengthening. Singareni has already paid Rs 35.23 crore to the R&B department for this purpose.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged officials to start construction on the road immediately, as it is crucial for the transportation of coal from the Naini Coal Block. The Odisha Chief Minister also supported this initiative and instructed officials to take action promptly.
