Amid controversy over auction of coal blocks in Jharkhand union coal minister met chief minister Hemant Soren
Ranchi, July 30: At the time when controversy over auction of coal blocks between union coal ministry and Jharkhand government is on and the matter is pending before the apex court, union coal minister Pralhad Joshi today visited Jharkhand capital and met chief minister Hemant Soren at latter’s office at Project Bhawan secretariat in Dhurwa.
As Joshi met chief minister Soren his cabinet colleague and Arjun Munda accompanied him. The meeting lasted for an hour. During the meeting, the minister discussed the issues related to coal royalty, land acquisition and commercial mining.
He also gave a cheque worth Rs 250 crore to chief minister Soren against government land acquisition and made him clear that the ministry is ready to give compensation of land which deputy commissioner of the concerned district will decide.
Earlier minister Joshi held a meeting with CMDs of different subsidiary units of Coal India operational in Jharkhand and reviewed its progress. He also visited CCL’s Gandhi Nagar hospital, which has been converted into Covid-19 centre and boosted the morale of corona fighters. He said that the ministry has decided to treat the death of miners due to covid as accidental death and pay Rs 15 lakh as compensation.
The meeting is being seen as an attempt of the union coal ministry to settle the issue of coal block auction outside the court as the minister during the meeting told the chief minister about the advantage of commercial mining and made him aware how it helps reduce the import of coal, which is at present 250 million tonne per year.
There are nine coal blocks in Jharkhand which will be auctioned. The nine coal blocks include Gondalpara in Hazaribagh, Choritand Tilaiya in Bokaro, Chakla, Chitarpur, North Dhadu and Seregraha in Latehar, Rajhara North (Central and Eastern) in Palamau, Urma Paharitola in Dumka and Pakur and Brahmadiha in Giridih.