Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Thursday that India is working towards a zero reduction in coal imports and that the central government has set an ambitious target of one billion tons of annual coal production by 2023-24.
The Home Minister said that the Coal Private Sector Units (PSUs) and the Captive Miners have also taken steps to increase production, while Rs 1.25.000 crore is expected to be invested in the Infrastructure Investment Scheme during 2020-24, for which 534 projects have been listed.
Shah spoke on the occasion of the launch of the Tree Plantation Project ‘Vriksharopan Abhiyan’ of the Ministry of Coal in the presence of Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi. The Home Secretary said that today the coal industry is not only ready to meet the rising demand for coal, but is also responsive to environmental stability.
“The Government is promoting Reclamation and Afforestation in the various coalbed regions. The Prime Minister has set up the district mineral fund with a corpus of Rs 39,000 crore for the development of the mining areas and 35,000 minor projects have been completed.”
He said that the coal sector is a significant pillar of India’s economy and will continue to be relevant in the times ahead. At the launch event at his home, the Home Secretary inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for six eco-parks and tourist sites. The tree plantation program was conducted at more than 130 locations in 38 districts of 10 coal or lignite bearing states via videoconferencing.
On the occasion, Shah said: “Climate change has impacted the world and only greenery is the solution to this crisis.” He said our culture has emphasised that one must not exploit nature but instead must support nature.”
“The focal mantra of Indian heritage has been that we should harness natural resources and not exploit them. We ignored this principle at our own peril, leading to depletion of the ozone layer and forming of an ozone hole, which in turn resulted in global warming and climate change. There is only one solution to this problem and one that has been mentioned in the ‘Puranas’ by sages that trees are friends of mankind and only greenery can get us out of this crisis,” Shah said.
