Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy Thursday asked Angul Collector to prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the people affected by Mandakini coal mine.
Reviewing the progress made in coal exploration from Mandakini mines in Angul district, Tripathy instructed the district Collector to prepare the package as per provisions of the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act and rehabilitation policy of the state.
“Odisha’s rehabilitation policy is very dynamic and progressive and proper packaging of the compensation awards would be beneficial to the people,” he said.
The mines developing authorities were asked to design rehabilitation package as per local needs in consultation with district administration.
Further, the Chief Secretary instructed the Angul Collector, Superintend of Police (SP) and the tehsildar concerned to directly transfer the benefits of the rehabilitation package without involvement of any middleman.
“Proper housing with basic infrastructure facilities must be provided at rehabilitation sites,” he directed.
The matters relating to conduct of socio-economic survey (SES), processing of forest diversion proposal, getting environmental clearances from statutory authority in Government of India, drilling activities by Central Mine Planning & Design Institute for estimating resource quality and preparation of scientific mining plan etc were discussed in the meeting.
Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Environment Mona Sharma appraised that forest diversion proposal was prepared, which would be sent to Ministry of Forest and Environment in the coming week.
Steel and Mines Secretary Surendra Kumar said that Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies made the pre-study preparations for SES. It was decided to start SES and non-coal proving operations in the coming week.
