JHARSUGUDA: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has given its nod for construction of a coal corridor from Belpahar to Lakhanpur coal mines area in Jharsuguda district with certain conditions.The MCL management, in a letter to the district Collector, stated that the 4 km long coal corridor will be constructed after the land acquisition process is complete. He said an estimate of `43 crore has been prepared for the project of which Rs 31 crore will be spent by MCL while the rest `12 crore will be borne by the district administration from the District Mineral Fund (DMF).
“A policy decision on construction of the coal corridor was taken at a Board meeting on Friday”, CGM of MCL’s Lakhanpur area RP Gupta said.Earlier, the district administration had prepared an estimate of `50 crore for constructing an alternative road from Belpahar, Limtikra and Ghichaghat to Jurabaga. An estimate of `40.42 crore for the road was also submitted by the Roads and Buildings department.
But MCL had returned the file to the district administration objecting to non-inclusion of VAT in the estimate.Meanwhile, representatives of Belpahar Citizens Forum , Gumadera Market Committee, Senior Citizens Forum, TRL Krosaki and the general public have welcomed MCL’s decision.