SCCL to start coal mining in Naini (Odisha) from March: Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka

Telangana Deputy CM announces coal extraction in Odisha, seeks land for power plant, thanks Odisha CM for cooperation.

HYDERABAD

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has announced that Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) will commence extraction of coal from its Naini mine in Odisha from March this year and thanked Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for expediting pending land acquisition and other formalities following their meeting in July last.

He made the announcement in the presence of Mr. Majhi at the 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference being held at Konark in Odisha on Monday. Mr. Vikramarka, who also handles the portfolios of Energy and Finance, requested the Odisha Chief Minister to allot the land required for establishing a 1,600 (2x800) megawatt super critical thermal power plant nearby the Naini Coal Block so that SCCL could set up a pit head power plant.

Mr. Vikramarka thanked Mr. Majhi for extending cooperation in completing the pending works pertaining to the Naini coal mine allotted to SCCL such as the acquisition of some private and forest land, enumeration of trees in the forest land for compensatory afforestation and also finalising the wildlife management plan besides provision of basic facilities such as power supply, water and road connectivity, after their meeting in Bhubaneswar on July 24 last.

Stating that transporting the coal mined at Naini to the Singareni Thermal Power Plant near Jaipur in Mancherial district in Telangana, located about 1,000 km from Naini, would have a lot of logistical problems besides adding to the cost of coal, Mr. Vikramarka said they were proposing to set up a 1,600 MW power plant in the vicinity of Naini block itself to reduce the production cost and provide more tax revenue to Odisha.

Citing the 20th Electrical Power Survey report, Mr. Vikramarka said there would be very high demand for thermal power in the country at least for the next three decades and even the Ministry of Coal had suggested establishment of pit head thermal power plants to reduce environmental impact, bring down production costs and generate quality power.

In a letter handed over to Mr. Majhi on the SCCL proposal to establish the 1,600 MW thermal power plant near Naini, Mr. Vikramarka mentioned that during the talks between the officials of Singareni and Odisha government it was suggested that sites at Jarapada-Tukuda and Handappara-Baninali would be very useful for the power plant being proposed. It would create employment opportunities for the local youth too, he noted in the letter.