Union coal min announces flats for displaced families of Jharia fire zone

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Dec 24 (PTI) Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, on Wednesday said that families displaced from the Jharia mine fire zone in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district will be provided with flats on a lease basis at Belgaria township.

Addressing a programme at the township, the minister said the displaced families could live in the flats for generations but the flats cannot be sold.

Reddy also inaugurated a series of development projects in Belgaria township, developed by Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) to rehabilitate families living in the fire affected and subsidence-prone areas of underground coal mines.

"The central and state governments are committed to rehabilitating residents from dangerous zones to safe places. The district administration, BCCL and JRDA are working hard in this regard for the interest of the residents," the minister said.

Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews the Jharia fire zone situation every month.

"The main objective behind Belgaria township is to provide safety to residents and upgrade their standard of living. For this very reason, Jharia Master Plan-2 has been made," he said.

The Union minister also met residents of Belgaria township and told them that the prime minister is serious to solve their problems.

Under Jharia Master Plan, 1.4 lakh residents living in the dangerous fire zone and subsidence prone areas in Jharia coalfield of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) would be shifted to safe places, an official said.

The Union Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited (CIL), BCCL and the Jharkhand government expedited relocation of the residents from Kenduadih area of BCCL after the emission of carbon monoxide gas on December 3, an incident in which two women died and over 100 residents fell sick.

CIL chairman B Sairam, BCCL chairman cum managing director Manoj Agrawal, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan and SSP Prabhat Kumar Dhanbad MP Dhulu Mahto were also present on the occasion. PTI COR SAN SAN ACD