Faced with undue delay in rehabilitation of around 84,000 families from 529 underground fire sites, the Union coal ministry has set the ball rolling to recast the Rs 7,112-crore Jharia master plan with the help of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI).
A high-level team from CMPDI, comprising its general manager and two executive engineers, will visit Dhanbad on Wednesday to discuss the matter with deputy commissioner Kripa Nand Jha, officials of Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA), the implementing agency, and the BCCL management.
Sources said the fresh plan would moot multi-storey buildings in place of the existing provision of G+3 structures to make room for more quarters on the same plot of land. Another possible amendment in the master plan may be taking into consideration monetary compensation for families who do not wish to relocate to the designated colonies.
The recast master plan, sources added, was also likely to have the provision to develop two integrated colonies at Katras and Baliapur instead of colonies at many places.
Notably, the Jharia master plan was first developed by CMPDI in 1999 and thereafter amended on several occasions following approval from the Centre in 2009.
The current recast has been prodded by state mines and geology secretary S.K. Satpathy. He is learnt to have instructed CMPDI to submit a primary project report with regard to the changes in the master plan to the state government by January 10 so that a final report can be forwarded to the Union ministry through JRDA on January 15.
The decision to recast the Jharia master plan and assess cost escalation was taken at a review meeting of Union coal secretary Anil Swarup in Ranchi on December 18 in presence of state chief secretary Rajiv Gauba and mines secretary Satpathy among others.
Deputy commissioner Jha, who is also the ex-officio managing director of JRDA, said that the CMPDI would pore over the plan to develop two integrated colonies complete with hospitals, schools, markets, banks and post offices at Baliapur and Katras.
In Baliapur, the JRDA has already built 3,000 quarters while 17,000 more are "under process", some at construction stage, some at ground-levelling and others at tender stage. The JRDA is working on around 223 acres in the block, including 103 acres in Belgarhia and 120 acres in Nipania mouza.
In Katras, the authorities plan to develop an integrated colony on around 352.95 acres spread over four adjoining mouzas of Mohanpur (88.53), Khario (62.42), Damodarpur (184) and Tursabad (28).
