CM to move Centre over coal mining proposal

Oct 30, 2011, |TNN

NAGPUR: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has decided to organize a meeting with union ministry of coal (MoC) to sort out the metro region coal mining issue. About 60,000 hectare land in Nagpur metro region has been declared as coal bearing area. As per norms, a no objection certificate (NOC) from MoC is needed for development in such areas. A controversy has erupted ever since Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) furnished this information to Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT).

Officials of WCL and NIT met Chavan on Saturday afternoon on this issue. NIT chairman Pravin Darade told Chavan that the agency was having major problems in planning of metro region due to the coal bearing area restriction. The CM told WCL officials that the state government was not in favour of new open cast mines in the metro region. A communication in this regard would be sent to MoC soon.

WCL and NIT also mutually agreed that no mining activity will take place within five km radius of the city. Only Godhni and Bokhara areas are within this limit.

Later addressing a press conference, the CM said that there was no problem with underground mines as the area of land to be acquired was far less. "We will have economic development of metro region along with coal mining."

However, NIT and NMC officials had told the CM that underground mining too would create hindrances in development as there are a lot of restrictions in areas located above underground mines.

The CM has not taken much interest in solving the Mor Bhavan bus stand issue. He had promised to solve the issue in seven days during the winter session of the state assembly. When asked about his promise, Chavan just said that talks were on, but did not elaborate.

He said that the government had sanctioned a Rs 110 crore package for providing interest-free loans to cotton ginning mills. However, when asked about the proposed textile parks in Vidarbha he said that the state government was formulating a textile policy. He also put the ball in Centre's court when asked about provision of minimum support price to cotton growers.

On Jairam Ramesh' suggestion to implement EGS through rural development department, he said that the government had a coordination committee and the proposal would have to be decided by it. "We have not promised anything to Ramesh."

(sourced TOI)