Godda, April 15: A no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Godda forest department has paved the way for opening Hura-C coal mine project, an extension of ECL’s Rajmahal coalfield project.

Under the ECL’s extension programme, Hura in the tribal-dominated Boyarijore block, some 35km from the Godda district headquarters, had been identified as the site for a three-million tonne coal plan in the first phase.

As per an agreement with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), ECL was supposed to start the project by March 2010 but due to the delay in obtaining the NOC from the forest department, the plant could not take off. The decks were cleared only recently with the department issuing the certificate, allowing the company to use over 600 hectares of forestland for mining.

“As per the agreement with NTPC, we have to supply additional coal, i.e. 11.7 million tonne, to Farakka from March 2010 but since we have limited stock at the existing coal pits, we have to start the Hura-C project soon,” said an ECL official.

The project will need over 419 hectares of non-forestland too. The plots belong to Paharias, Santhals and Lohars and other backward castes.

The ECL management has already prepared a blueprint of rehabilitation measures to be taken up at the proposed site. Chief general manager of Rajmahal project Jaisbindar Pal Singh said residents of six villages — Foolbaria, Hahajor, Hura, Bara Khairbani, Lilatari and Hatipur — will be rehabilitated in the first phase. The company will provide jobs to 266 displaced villagers.

“We will provide all other facilities to the displaced,” Singh said, adding that the land acquisition process would start soon.