The state government has posted two officers in Birbhum, including one in the rank of additional district magistrate, to solely look after proceedings related to the proposed Deocha-Pachami coal mine project in the district.
Officials said the decision to appoint these officials for the project showed how keen the government was to start it without hiccups.
“The state wants to take up the process of rehabilitation work for land-losers at the earliest after it announced a Rs 10,000 crore rehab package for land-losers in the area (earlier this month). This is the reason why two senior officials have been sent to the district. The officers are at the disposal of DM and they would be given responsibility according to the ground requirements,” said a senior official.
Sources said it appears that these officials have been sent to look after the basic work related to land so that the project can start smoothly.
“They can be given responsibility to handle the queries of the affected people. There will be a need for more officials in future once mining work starts,” a source said.
Sources said the state can send few additional police officers in the district to handle law and order, if the need for it arises.
The Deocha-Pachami coal mine is the largest coal block in the state and has a stock of around 2.2 billion tonnes of coal underneath the stone layer and it has the potential to generate over one lakh direct employment.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on November 9 announced the rehabilitation package for those who will be affected by the mega project. It offered details of the government’s land rates and government job of junior constable to a member of each affected family, among others.
Officials said the two additional officers are Dina Narayan Ghosh, additional district magistrate (development) in Jhargram, and Shibaji Adak, another WBCS officer posted in the clinical health department in Calcutta.
Birbhum has three posts of additional district magistrates, ADM (general) ADM (development), ADM (zilla parsihad) and ADM (land). The newly appointed Ghosh, the fourth ADM, will be deployed in tasks meant for the coal mine.
“He could be assigned directly to look after the land and rehabilitation related issues or he would replace one of the existing ADMs to take care of coal mine matters,” said an official in Birbhum.
Sources said the government wants to start mining very soon as it will help them solve unemployment to an extent and generate revenue.
A recent initial survey by Nabanna revealed that the government could slash production cost of electricity by 74 paise per unit once it starts mining coal from the Deocha-Pachami coal mine.
The government has already held meetings with tribal heads of 18 hamlets which are likely to be affected by the coal mine and is waiting for response from people in those villages on the rehabilitation package.
“We have already opened offices where the doubts or grievances of villagers are being addressed. We would first want to read the pulse of the local people before taking any step in the project,” said an official.
