TALCHER: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy has laid emphasis on the importance of leveraging the rail-sea-rail mode for coal transportation to ensure reliable supply and strengthen the logistics infrastructure.
Chairing a review meeting of the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Reddy also stressed the need to accelerate progress on first mile connectivity (FMC) projects, diversification initiatives, IT and AI integration in coal mining and green energy projects to support India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions.
The minister advised to prioritise reclamation and redevelopment of abandoned mines and ensure effective execution of progressive mine closure activities. He underscored the importance of promoting gender diversity in the coal industry and urged to accelerate enrolment of contractual workers in MCL’s corporate banking scheme to strengthen employee welfare.
During the meeting, MCL CMD Uday Anant Kaole presented a comprehensive overview of the company’s performance, highlighting its operational achievements, challenges, future prospects and emerging opportunities. Reddy commended MCL for its unwavering efforts in ensuring energy security to the nation.
The meeting focused on MCL’s operations and exploring strategies to enhance performance. Chairman of Coal India Limited PM Prasad, additional secretary Vismita Tej, joint secretary SK Kassi along with the functional directors and CVO of MCL attended the meeting.