As part of his three-day visit to Jharkhand, the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Coal and Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, visited Dhanbad today. During the visit, he inspected ongoing rehabilitation and development works at Belgaria Township and chaired a high-level review meeting at Koyla Bhawan, BCCL Headquarters.

Minister commenced his visit with an inspection of Belgaria Township, where rehabilitation of fire-affected families from the Jharia coalfield region is being undertaken under the Jharia Master Plan. He reviewed the progress of rehabilitation works and assessed the status of infrastructure and basic amenities being provided to the resettled families.

On the occasion, Jharia MLA Smt. Ragini Singh, Deputy Commissioner Dhanbad Shri Aditya Ranjan, CMD BCCL Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Functional Directors of BCCL, senior officials from the Ministry of Coal and officers of BCCL and district administration were present.

Addressing the gathering at the administrative complex in Phase-5 of the township, the Union Minister observed that the rehabilitation initiative at Belgaria Township represents a comprehensive effort aimed at improving the living standards of displaced families. He emphasized that the process goes beyond physical relocation and is focused on ensuring long-term socio-economic stability. He also urged eligible beneficiaries to actively participate in the rehabilitation process.

The Minister directed all concerned agencies to ensure transparency, quality and timely execution of works, with a focus on covering all eligible families under the rehabilitation framework.

During the visit, the Minister laid the foundation stone of a livelihood and employment generation project to be implemented by BCCL. He also distributed e-rickshaws to five beneficiaries under BCCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative being implemented in the township and interacted with women entrepreneurs associated with various CSR-supported livelihood programmes. The initiatives were appreciated as meaningful steps towards strengthening local livelihoods and promoting inclusive growth.

Subsequently, the Minister chaired a high-level review meeting at Koyla Bhawan. The meeting was attended by CMD BCCL Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner Dhanbad Shri Aditya Ranjan, senior officials of the Ministry of Coal, Functional Directors of BCCL, SSP Shri Prabhat Kumar, senior CISF officials, and other officers from BCCL and district administration.

During the meeting, a detailed review of projects and developmental activities under the Jharia Master Plan was undertaken. Discussions were held on operational performance, coal quality improvement initiatives, rehabilitation progress, and safety measures in coal mining operations. The Minister provided necessary guidance and directions for further strengthening performance and ensuring compliance with safety and environmental standards.

In his remarks, the Minister highlighted the critical role of the coal sector in ensuring the country’s energy security. He emphasized the need for a balanced approach that integrates production efficiency with rehabilitation, environmental sustainability, and employee welfare. He also underscored the importance of coordinated efforts between BCCL and JRDA for effective implementation of rehabilitation initiatives.

The visit is expected to further strengthen ongoing efforts towards rehabilitation, sustainable development, and safe mining operations in the Jharia coalfield region.

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Shuhaib T

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