Chhattisgarh-based SECL speeds up process of onboarding landowners

Representative image (Photo: Bloomberg)

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), the Chhattisgarh-based arm of state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL), has accelerated the process of providing employment to landowners.

According to a SECL spokesperson, SECL has approved 337 landowners to hire staff in the current fiscal year.

Compared to the same period of the previous financial year, the company has registered a 30 percent increase in employment, he added.

With “Samvedansheel Prabandhan – Samvadsheel Prabandhan” (management through empathy and dialogue) at its core, the company prioritises the interests of landowners. It has given employment approvals to around 1,748 landowners since April 2022, the spokesperson added.

In 2022-2023, the company provided employment to 704 landowners, while in the previous financial year, 707 landowners were employed, the highest number in the last 10 years.

The spokesperson said Coal India had set a target of producing 1 billion tonnes of coal by the year 2026-27 and SECL would have to produce 250 million tonnes (MT).

This will require increasing the current production capacity of the mines, for which timely acquisition of land is crucial, he added.

SECL continuously strives to provide landowners with quick employment and good settlement by simplifying the process of land acquisition and employment.

The company has implemented a special rehabilitation and resettlement package in its mega projects Gevra, Dipka and Kusmunda, under which landowners receive better compensation.

And the company sees that this initiative is paying off, the spokesperson said.

In the recently published list of the top 10 mines in the world, SECL’s Gevra and Kusmunda were ranked second and fourth respectively.

In the past financial year, Gevra achieved a coal production of 59 tonnes and Kusmunda 50 tonnes.

Gevra has also been granted an environmental permit for 70 tonnes, making it the largest coal mine in the world.

First publication: Aug 29, 2024 | 12:24 PM IST