Singareni Collieries to Commence Production from Naini Coal Mine

State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is set to begin production at the Naini coal mine in Odisha shortly after receiving forest land clearance. The mine, with a capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum, faced delays due to forest land issues. Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, played a key role in resolving the matter.

The State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is poised to initiate production at the Naini coal mine in Odisha, according to the coal ministry's announcement on Friday.

The operation had been delayed owing to the pending handover of forest land, despite receiving Stage-II forest clearance in October 2022. With a production capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum, the strategic block was allocated to SCCL in 2015 for captive coal utilization in its thermal power plant.

G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Coal and Mines in the newly-formed NDA government, held extensive talks with the Government of Odisha to expedite the process. This collaborative effort led to the approval of 643 hectares of forest land being handed over to SCCL on July 4, 2024, paving the way for the mine to become operational. Reddy expressed gratitude to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi for his swift resolution of the matter.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)