The Hindu Business Line : Bengal keen on joint ventures for coal mining

Speaking to reporters after inauguration of a sponge iron unit at Purulia on Thursday, he said that the State-owned Mineral Development and Trading Corporation (MDTC) was trying to forge alliances with private sector companies for starting legal mining in areas where there are some deposits and which are now being mined illegally. However, he said that there were no estimates available for the amount of deposits in these areas, which was outside the area of Coal India Ltd.

He said there was also scope for MDTC to take up the projects of Eastern Coalfields, which the latter is planning to source out. However, the concurrence of the unions was crucial for this.

Besides coal, he said that the Purulia district had abundant deposits of international grade granite, which could be mined as joint venture projects.

UNI adds: Due to globalisation, West Bengal had business of over Rs 65,00 crore in iron and coal in the last 10 years, Mr Sen asserted.

He said there were about 77 mini, medium and big projects in the pipeline while Rs 9,000 crore would be invested in various other projects in the next 12 years. Of the total 77 projects, 17 mega ones cost Rs 13,600 crore, Mr Sen said.

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