Coal Secretary Anil Jain on Thursday reviewed progress of the rehabilitation project for people living in fire and subsisdence-prone areas in Jharia and directed officials to implement it on a priority basis, a senior mining official said.
As per the latest survey, 1.04 lakh families, including 32,000 legal land owners living in 595 fire and subsidence-prone spots in Jharia have to be shifted to safe places under Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA).
Underground fires have been burning under the country’s largest coalfield in Jharkhand for over a century.
The coal secretary visited Jinagora coal project in Lodna area and assessed the condition of residents living there.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) chairman Pramod Agrawal, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) chairman cum managing director Gopal Singh, Dhanbad deputy commissioner Umashankar Singh accompanied the coal secretary.
Jain will also visit the rehabilitation site for the displaced families during his two-day stay.
So far around 3,500 families have been shifted to Benagaria township area, set up for displaced families.
A senior BCCL official said, the coal secretary expressed satisfaction over the progress of rehabilitation process being executed by JRDA.
