SAMBALPUR: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, las laid out an investment plan of Rs 60,000 crore in Odisha, of which Rs 31,000 crore will be spent on mining and social infrastructure development by 2023-24.
With investment in acquisition of land for three new mine, develop and operate (MDO) projects at Siarmal (50 MTY) in Ib Valley coalfields, Subhadra (25 MTY) and Balbhadra North (10 MTY) in Talcher coalfields, as well as expansion of existing ones, the company has set a target to increase its coal production capacity to 300 million tonne.
In order to increase capacity building of new and expansion of existing projects, the company would invest in procurement of HEMMs. Besides, it will invest `11,363 crore for setting-up of a 1600 MW super critical thermal power plant in Sundergarh district.
The investment in strengthening coal evacuation infrastructure like doubling of 53-km-long Jharsuguda-Sardega railway line with a flyover at Jharsuguda railway station and construction of 12 Rapid Loading Systems (RLS), aims at supplementing the increased coal production.
With the help of State Government, the company has planned to create social infrastructure like roads, flyovers, parks, etc under its command area in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Angul districts.
The planned investment in social and mining projects will not only increase direct and indirect employment for local youths but also provide opportunities for Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs).