Mamata urges Goyal to legalise mining in Bengal

Stating that mining in some districts in the state takes place illegally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday urged the Union Power and Coal minister Piyush Goyal to make a policy to legalise mining. 

If the mines are regularised, then the money will come directly to state government’s coffer. She gave the proposal after the Power Minister’s speech during the ongoing Bengal Global Business Summit. Goyal also assured all help to the state government in this regard.

Banerjee said illegal mining takes places in some places of three districts in the state. Those are very potential areas and good revenue can be generated for the exchequer of the government if the mining in those areas is legalised. She said the chief secretary will take forward the matter for necessary discussions.   

Goyal said: “In my tenure till date, I have not found any issues that cannot be solved over a discussion. I am taking up the matter seriously and will discuss in this regard for a fast solution. Role of technical experts of Coal Indian Limited is important.  He said in this case the revenue, which will be generated, will go to the state’s exchequer.” 

The Union minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message is that there should be an inclusive growth in India, focusing on the Eastern part of the country. “Thus, political discomfort and issues will not come on the path of development,” he said. 

He said there will be power for all by 2019. In West Bengal, there are only 22 villages left where the power supply is yet to reach. Nearly 90 per cent of the BPL households and 96 per cent of the others have been electrified and they are getting interruption free power supply for 24 hours every day. “It will take another 12 to 15 months to extend the power supply at every corner of the country despite natural calamities. There is no shortage in supply of coal at any of the power plants in the country. 

There is stock of coal for 23 days in advance at each power plant. Thus, power generation in India will not get affected if the supply of coal stops even for 23 days,” he said, adding that the CIL worked relentlessly in the past nine months and seven days to take the coal production up by 9.8 per cent.