By IANS
Kolkata, Sep 30 (IANS) State-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) wants to increase its mining area with an innovative rehabilitation policy for those displaced by its operations, chairman P. Bhattacharya has said.
The company will stress the need for prior informed consultation with tribal communities for development of mineral resources, he told reporters here after a seminar Saturday.
“We want training and skill upgrade programmes to form the cornerstone of rehabilitation policies,” said Bhattacharya.
“We want people affected due to mining to get gainful employment in both main and ancillary industries,” he added.
The current policy of providing employment to people owning about two acres of irrigated land is not sufficient to meet rehabilitations needs, according to Bhattacharya.
CIL has submitted its rehabilitation proposals to the Indian government.
The company needs an additional 42,000 hectare of mining area to reach the targeted 520 million tonnes of coal production to meet growing power sector needs. It currently has 128,000 hectare under mining operations.