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Bengal

Deocha Pachami gets Centre's nod after 3 yrs

Kolkata: The state government is now all set to start the mining works at Deocha Pachami, a coal block in Birbhum after the Centre has given its clearance.

While inaugurating various projects at the newly unveiled Integrated Leather Complex at Bantala, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that clearance has been given to the state government to initiate extraction at Deocha Pachami, which is one of the largest coal reserves in Asia.

"We have a big announcement for you. The Centre has issued clearance for mining works at Deocha Pachami. It will create a total employment of one lakh. The Bengal government will invest Rs 12,000 crore at the biggest coal block," Banerjee said while addressing a gathering at Bantala.

It may be mentioned here that Deocha Pachami, which had been awaiting a no-objection from the Centre for a long time, finally received the Centre's nod allowing the state government to begin the mining work.

It has become possible due to relentless efforts by the Mamata Banerjee government. The Chief Minister herself had written to the Centre for issuing the no-objection in this regard.

The Power department officials had also urged the Centre repeatedly in this regard. The Centre will soon sign an official MoU with

the Bengal government over the formal allotment of the world's second-largest coal block situated in Birbhum.

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay had raised a question regarding the prolonged deadlock between the state and Centre on this issue, on Wednesday. A delegation of senior Trinamool members had also met the Union Coal minister Prahlad Joshi at his office in the Parliament on Tuesday.

The state government is set to get the allocation after a long wait of three years. The project will not only fulfill the coal demand of the state, but other adjacent states as well.

This coal block is the largest in India, covering an area of 12.31 sq km and having a reserve of 2,102 million tonnes of coal.

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