New Delhi: Hyderabad-based Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has been able to operationalise a coal mine that was allocated to the state-run miner nine years ago in 2015, thanks to the intervention by Minister for Coal G Kishan Reddy. SCCL was allocated Naini coal mine in Odisha with a production capacity of 10 Million Tonnes per annum (MTPA) on August 13, 2015. The mine was allocated for captive utilisation of coal in the thermal power plant of SCCL. However, the mine had been facing delays in getting clearances from the Odisha state government.
“This mine was facing abnormal delay in handing over forest land after receipt of Stage-II forest clearance in October 2022 which delayed the operationalisation of the mine,” said the Ministry of Coal in a statement on Friday.
After taking charge, the Union Minister for Coal held extensive discussions with the government of Odisha to resolve the long pending issue and operationalise the mine at the earliest in the spirit of cooperative federalism, said the Coal Ministry. “As a result, approval for handing over of 643 Ha of forest land has been accorded to SCCL on 04.07.2024. Shri G Kishan Reddy specifically thanked the Odisha Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Manjhi for quickly resolving this issue,” said the ministry.
It is expected that SCCL will commence coal production from the mine shortly. This step will further strengthen and secure the energy security needs of Telangana, said the Coal Ministry. Reddy is a Member of Parliament from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat nestled within the Hyderabad district in Telangana.
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