Rajasthan urges Chhattisgarh to expedite clearances for vital coal mining projects

RAIPUR: BJP-ruled Rajasthan has urged the Chhattisgarh government to expedite necessary clearances for mining at the three coal blocks allotted to the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) to meet the energy requirements of the desert state.
Rajasthan Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar called on Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and expressed the Rajasthan government’s commitment to contribute to the development of the Surguja district.He informed the Chief Minister about the plans to establish a 25-bed modern hospital equipped with advanced facilities at Parsa. Earlier, he visited the PEKB mines to take stock on the ongoing operations, re-forestation activities and CSR work being carried out at the project area.
After his visit to Parsa and his meeting with the Chief Minister, Nagar told reporters that they also believed in sustainable mining and that RRVUNL’s projects were a win-win situation for both Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Referring to criticism against tree felling for mining operations, the minister said nearly 94,000 trees have been cut so far for mining while systematic work was in progress for carrying out reforestation on the reclaimed land after mining. He pointed out that more than 1.1 million trees had already been planted, including Sal trees, to maintain the natural biodiversity even after reforestation.
Pointing out that Rajasthan has been procuring coal for over a decade to meet its coal demand for generating 4300MW of power, the energy minister said besides PEKB, the centre has allotted two more blocks, Parsa and Kante extension. “There is an urgent need to develop and start operations at the two other coal blocks, Parsa and Kante extension, as it will make Rajasthan self-reliant in meeting the coal demands and reduce its dependence on Coal India for procuring coal."
Noting that PEKB was the only coal mine in Chhattisgarh with a five-star rating from the Ministry of Coal, Nagar said Rajasthan wished to take this to the next level by introducing energy-efficient practices and continuing to work closely with local communities to empower them. RRVUNL and its MDO partner have created a sustainable CSR model to benefit women, farmers, children, youth, and senior citizens.
Nagar said RRVUNL provides over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in Surguja, significantly contributing to the local economy.
During his visit to Parsa, the Rajasthan minister launched the operation of a 9 MW solar project and a dozer push operation at the PEKB block.