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Panel recommends green clearance to Fatehpur East Coal mine

A high level committee has recommended green clearance for Fatehpur East Coal Pvt Ltd's mining project in Chhattisgarh but with certain riders.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) "after detailed deliberations recommended the proposal for granting environment clearance subject to...specific conditions," according to an official document.

The panel is looking into the issue of recommending environment clearance to the company's coal block - Fatehpur East - in Mand Raigarh Coalfields of Chhattisgarh having a production capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

Fatehpur East Coal Pvt Ltd is a joint venture between RKM Powergen Pvt Ltd, Visa Power Ltd, AthenaBSE 0.00 % Infra-projects Pvt Ltd, JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd and Vandana Vidhyut Ltd.

The EAC conditions include that the company implement plan of temporary housing facility for contractual workers, an environmental cell be created to monitor and implement the environmental and social issue and the CSR spending should be Rs 12 crore.

The Environment Ministry had earlier sought more details from the company including the rehabilitation plans.
It had also sought details like action plan for a railway line from coal block to proposed Dharamjaygarh station on east corridor, copy of R&R ( rehabilitation and resettlement) plan and plan of temporary housing facility for contractual workers.

The Coal Ministry had in January issued show-cause notice to the firm to explain "as to why the delay in the development of coal block should not be held as violation of the terms and conditions of the allocation of Fatehpur East Coal Block and why the block should not be de-allocated".

RThe document said the proponent had informed the Committee that, the Inter Ministerial Group ( IMG) on coal blocks had in February, recommended that "no action is recommended at present. However, in continuation of further development of the block shall be without any prejudice to the investigation consequent upon FIR against two of the five allocates".

Source: PTI