Kendrapada: Coal India Limited (CIL) has planned to establish two additional non-coking coal washeries of a total capacity of 27 MTPA in Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Odisha, said minister of state for coal and mines, Satish Chandra Dubey, in Rajya Sabha on Monday. The tentative capacity of these washeries will be 15 million tonnes (MT) annually at Balaram-Hingula mines and 12 MT annually at Kulda-Garjanbahal.A coal gasification-based ammonium nitrate plant with expected commissioning in FY 29-30 is also being set up in Lakhanpur by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), a joint venture company of CIL and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), added Dubey, while replying to a question of MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj.The minister further said that the movement of raw coal to other states for washing or end-use is guided by logistical efficiency and proximity to consuming centres. While such transportation may shift certain value addition activities outside Odisha, the state continues to receive revenue through royalties, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) contributions and other statutory levies on coal production.The govt has taken multiple steps to ensure that coal-bearing districts of Odisha derive economic and employment benefits, including direct employment by MCL to the eligible members of displaced/affected families in accordance with the Odisha R&R Policy, 2006, or preferential allotment of certain contracts (like coal transportation) to them as well as skill development, he said. Employment benefits have been given to 300 project-affected families in 2023-24, 315 in 2024-25 and 447 in 2025-26 (till date), added the minister.“As many as 3,688 youth have been trained, with about 2,900 placements under CSR initiatives of the MCL. Significant investments has been made by the MCL in infrastructure, healthcare, education, women empowerment and livelihood projects, with over Rs1,000 crore spent in the last five years under CSR initiatives largely in Angul, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts,” said the minister.
