Coal India’s (CIL) Chhattisgarh arm, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), has signed an agreement to start mining at its maiden open-cast Pelma Collieries mine in Raigarh district, under the mine developer and operator (MDO) model.
According to the model, introduced by CIL in 2021, a private company is appointed to develop and operate a coal mine. The MDO is responsible for all aspects of the mine’s operations.
According to the agreement, Pelma Collieries will operate the mine for the next 20 years. More than 219 million tonnes (mt) of coal is proposed to be extracted from the mine in 20 years,
