CMRI: Combined strength

Dhanbad, April 7: The two laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) here — the Central Mining Research Institute (CMRI) and the Central Fuel Research Institute (CFRI) — have been merged. Amalendu Sinha, the officiating director of CMRI, would be the head of the combined laboratory — Central Mining and Fuel Research Institute (CMFRI).

Talking to newspersons on Saturday, Sinha said CIMFR started working from April 2.

The labs would be shifted to the CMRI campus.

The proposal of the merger, mooted in 2003, went through rounds of debates and discussions. After the approval of the CSIR’s governing body two years ago, the merger was awaiting the endorsement of the CSIR society.

The pivotal body of CSIR — the CSIR society — gave its nod on January 10 this year. The governing body of the CSIR had approved the merger on September 13, 2005.

The CSIR’s governing body and the CSIR society decided to merge the laboratories after considering the recommendation of the review panel constituted by the Centre.