The state’s ambitious Deucha-Pachami coal project in Birbhum, coal block offered to state-owned West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation (WBMDTC), hasn’t yet managed to take off in six years despite ‘approval’ by the land givers at Gourangadihi in Asansol’s Barabani.

The project is estimated to generate Rs 146 cr annual revenue for the cash-strapped state apart from pouring in Rs 500 cr net revenue to WBMDTC’s exchequer.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today asked the newly-assigned industries secretary Vandana Yadav to explain the delay in project execution. She said, “Let Vandana explain this.”

Khagra-Joydeb coal block in Birbhum, where 103.8 million tonnes of coal reserve in the underground strata of 4,182 acres still remain virgin, was allocated to the Damodar Valley Corporation in March  2015, which, according to a ministry of coal notification (NA-301/1/2021-NA, dated- 9 May, 2022), the DVC is preparing to surrender due to non execution and the experts said, this is likely to hit the state exchequer as the project was scheduled to generate Rs 145 cr annual royalty and cess.

The WBMDTC’s mine at Gourangadihi was allocated by the ministry of coal in September, 2016 on 356.57 acres, where 62 million tonnes of extractable coal reserve is lying virgin. The ministry had finalised the timeline for lifting operation to start in June, 2021 and the environment clearance was granted on 1 April. The forest advisory committee, New Delhi, has returned the proposal seeking West Bengal government’s grant for mining lease. The mine has a slated life for 27 years. The local residents, unlike Deucha-Pachami, have shown ‘courage’ to give up land against ‘hefty’ premiums, which the state cabinet, on 16 August, 2019 decided that the land would be procured through the district land purchase committee.

Vandana Yadav, state’s industry secretary said today, “About Khagra-Joydev, the environment clearance process is still in progress.” About the WBMDTC’s Gourangadihi project, she told the chief minister: “The rehabilitation package for the project-affected families has already been prepared in consultation with the state labour minister and we are quite hopeful that the project work may start execution by the end of the year.”