Jharia Master Plan Extension: Union Cabinet Approval Expected

Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI) A proposal for extension of the tenure of Jharia Master Plan (JMP) is before the Union Cabinet, an official said.

The Jharia Master Plan for dealing with fire, subsidence and rehabilitation in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district was approved by the government of India in August 2009 with an implementation period of 10 years and a pre-implementation period of two years with an estimated investment of Rs 7,112.11 crore. The plan expired in 2021.

The first phase of the plan has been completed, successfully relocating around 2,800 families and reducing the fire area to 1.8 sq km in 2021-22 from the original 17.32 sq km, the official said.

"The extension of the plan (JMP) is with the Union Cabinet, and we expect it will get clearance soon as there are no funding concerns. The plan still has about Rs 7,000 crore after spending nearly Rs 2,000 crore in the first phase," Bharat Coking Coal Ltd chairman and managing director Samiran Dutta said.



The value of the fund value continues to be around Rs 7,000 crore because Coal India continues to contribute to rehabilitation and resettlement for the people of the area.

Dutta said that 33,000 homes have already been built, with BCCL constructing 18,000 and the rest by the nodal agency Jharia Resettlement Development Authority (JRDA).

He said that the plan includes building more essential social infrastructure like schools, colleges, and other smart city facilities.