MCL resolves decade-old land dispute at Talcher, clears path for Bhubaneswari mine expansion

New Delhi: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, announced on Wednesday that it has successfully resolved a long-pending land acquisition dispute at Hensamul, Talasahi in Talcher, paving the way for expansion of its Bhubaneswari open-cast project.

Court ruling clears bottleneck

In a landmark order in writ appeal No.34 of 2015 (Gadadhar Biswal & Others vs MCL), the High Court of Odisha directed villagers to hand over the acquired land to MCL within a month. The court also instructed the company to provide transit accommodation to 25 persons within the same timeframe and expedite pending work at the resettlement site.

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Background of the dispute

The issue dates back to 2014, when 102 villagers of Hensamul, Talasahi approached the court seeking additional benefits despite having already received compensation, employment, and resettlement plots in line with the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) provisions of the government of Odisha. The legal proceedings stalled the mine’s expansion for nearly a decade.

Boost for coal production

MCL said the resolution of the dispute will allow the Bhubaneswari mine to step up coal production, supporting India’s energy requirements. The mine is one of MCL’s key projects in Odisha’s Talcher coalfields, a major hub of coal production for power generation across the country.

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