A Parliamentary Standing Committee has slammed the Coal ministry for letting the Rs 10,000-crore aerotropolis project come up at a coal reserve area in Durgapur, West Bengal, as it would hinder mining of the fossil fuel. The committee, headed by Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, also condemned the slow pace of development of captive coal blocks.
Noting that there is a large deficit of coal in the country, the committee maintained that allotment of some projects were not handled properly, as a result of which coal reserves were getting ‘sterilised’. “The committee do not approve such action on part of the ministry, when there is a shortage of coal production in the country and coal reserves are available for extraction and the same are not being allotted to the coal companies, especially Eastern Coal India Ltd, which can easily produce coal for such coal reserves,” a report prepared by the committee said.
The 2,182 acre Aerotropolis project is being developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Project Ltd, with technical inputs from Singapore based Changi Airports Ltd. The objective is to set up a city with an airport at its heart, comprising an Integrated Township, IT Park and Logistics Hub.
Insisting that industrial and commercial projects should not be set up in a coal reserve area, the report said, The committee urges the ministry to take appropriate steps so that no coal reserve area is blocked and sterilised for setting-up any project where coal reserve exists.
Noting that there is a large deficit of coal in the country, the committee maintained that allotment of some projects were not handled properly, as a result of which coal reserves were getting ‘sterilised’. “The committee do not approve such action on part of the ministry, when there is a shortage of coal production in the country and coal reserves are available for extraction and the same are not being allotted to the coal companies, especially Eastern Coal India Ltd, which can easily produce coal for such coal reserves,” a report prepared by the committee said.
The 2,182 acre Aerotropolis project is being developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Project Ltd, with technical inputs from Singapore based Changi Airports Ltd. The objective is to set up a city with an airport at its heart, comprising an Integrated Township, IT Park and Logistics Hub.
Insisting that industrial and commercial projects should not be set up in a coal reserve area, the report said, The committee urges the ministry to take appropriate steps so that no coal reserve area is blocked and sterilised for setting-up any project where coal reserve exists.
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