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Rs 12,000 cr investment to develop a coal block: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said an investment of Rs 12,000 crore in a joint venture would be made to develop a coal block in the state's Birbhum district, creating employment for a large number of people.

Briefing the media at the state secretariat, Banerjee said Deocha-Pachami coal block in the state with a reserve of 2,200 million tonnes, which was allocated to six states and a CPSU by the Centre in 2013, would be developed in a joint venture.

"Development of this coal block under Md Bazar block in Birbhum district in a joint venture will expedite the development process in the entire area
covering Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia, Burdwan and Murshidabad districts," Banerjee said.

Clarifying further, state Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra later said, "There will be direct investment of Rs 12,000 crore and indirect investment could be several times more. It will provide direct and indirect employment to thousands of people."

"The states and a CPSU included in the project are West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN)," Mitra said, adding that West Bengal would have the largest share of 584 million tonnes.

"This coal block will provide coal to Sagardighi and Katwa for a period of 25 years. West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation Ltd will start the initial activities to carry out mining," Mitra said.

Besides creating employment opportunity, development of this coal block would also boost the industrial growth in the Purulia-Bankura-Asansol-Durgapur-Birbhum belt, Mitra said.

Source: Economic Times