World’s second largest coal block to settle displaced family first
Mining project at the world’s second-largest coal block, Deocha-Pachami in West Bengal, will be taken up only after environmental concerns are sorted and displaced families resettled, chief minister, Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.
The state expects to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Centre in a week for the handover of the block in Bengal’s Birbhum district. An upfront refundable deposit of Rs 50 crore has to be made to the central government in this regard, officials said.
“We will proceed with the project cautiously, taking care of every aspect from resettlement to the environment. There are about 395 families (40 per cent tribal) in Deocha-Pachami,” Banerjee said after a high-level meeting at the state secretariat.
