Coal India Ltd is a reluctant owner of an estimated 30,000 hectare of land. The PSU has approached the Centre seeking amendment in the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957 to help the company return the used land to the society for other usage.
CIL has appointed a committee to assess the land which the company does not require. While a detailed picture will emerge shortly, according to a quick estimate, the existing provisions of the act had forced Coal India to unwillingly possess approximately 30,000 hectare of land - a land which is no longer required for the company’s mining activities.
The quantum is just an informed guesstimate and might even be more. “We have in our possession approximately 1.5 lakh hectares of land. We guess roughly 20 per cent of the same is already used and is no longer required by CIL. However, the Act does come in the way of releasing the land back to the society for other usage,” the Chairman, Partha S. Bhattacharyya, told newspersons in Kolkata recently.
While preliminary discussions are already held with the Centre underlining the need for amendment of the Act, the company has appointed a committee to asses the quantity of such used land for making a detailed presentation before the Ministry. The report expected in about a month will reveal a correct picture.
The move by the CIL is a smart one. The ambitious production target in the Eleventh Plan period will necessitate acquisition of fresh land, both forest and farm lands. It is estimated that CIL will need to acquire about 67,000 hectares of additional land. Before that the PSU wants to show that as a good corporate citizen it returns the land which is not required for the use of the society. The move might reduce substantially the potential resistance against land acquisition for fresh mining.
Taking a queue from delay in embarking on number of new projects due to land acquisition road blocks and the increasing controversies arising therefrom, Coal India has been actively campaigning for socially sustainable mining practices underlining the need for wider contribution in rehabilitation and re-settlement of the communities affected due to mining industry.
A proposal has already been submitted before the Coal Ministry underling the need for greater contribution towards lives of people in the mining areas other than the existing practice of offering job to a handful of landowners.
“Once the legal hurdles are removed, a mechanism should be created to encourage re-use of land for the benefit of society,” Partha Bhattacharyya said. Whether this strategy works or not, the Coal CMD has demonstrated his ability to address the social issues in a proactive manner. If he is successful this will remain as a case study for extractive industries operating in densely populated regions.
CIL has appointed a committee to assess the land which the company does not require. While a detailed picture will emerge shortly, according to a quick estimate, the existing provisions of the act had forced Coal India to unwillingly possess approximately 30,000 hectare of land - a land which is no longer required for the company’s mining activities.
The quantum is just an informed guesstimate and might even be more. “We have in our possession approximately 1.5 lakh hectares of land. We guess roughly 20 per cent of the same is already used and is no longer required by CIL. However, the Act does come in the way of releasing the land back to the society for other usage,” the Chairman, Partha S. Bhattacharyya, told newspersons in Kolkata recently.
While preliminary discussions are already held with the Centre underlining the need for amendment of the Act, the company has appointed a committee to asses the quantity of such used land for making a detailed presentation before the Ministry. The report expected in about a month will reveal a correct picture.
The move by the CIL is a smart one. The ambitious production target in the Eleventh Plan period will necessitate acquisition of fresh land, both forest and farm lands. It is estimated that CIL will need to acquire about 67,000 hectares of additional land. Before that the PSU wants to show that as a good corporate citizen it returns the land which is not required for the use of the society. The move might reduce substantially the potential resistance against land acquisition for fresh mining.
Taking a queue from delay in embarking on number of new projects due to land acquisition road blocks and the increasing controversies arising therefrom, Coal India has been actively campaigning for socially sustainable mining practices underlining the need for wider contribution in rehabilitation and re-settlement of the communities affected due to mining industry.
A proposal has already been submitted before the Coal Ministry underling the need for greater contribution towards lives of people in the mining areas other than the existing practice of offering job to a handful of landowners.
“Once the legal hurdles are removed, a mechanism should be created to encourage re-use of land for the benefit of society,” Partha Bhattacharyya said. Whether this strategy works or not, the Coal CMD has demonstrated his ability to address the social issues in a proactive manner. If he is successful this will remain as a case study for extractive industries operating in densely populated regions.
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