Excavation work has started in three out of 29 coal blocks of Jharkhand, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Mines.
Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Mines, M Nagaraju called on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday and informed him that excavation work has already started in three coal blocks and in the coming months work will start in Keredari, Chatti Bariatu, Badam, Tubed, Tokisud and Lohari coal blocks also, a state government release said.
The chief minister told the additional secretary of Ministry of Mines to ensure that the allottees of various coal blocks follow the law of the state, it said.
According to state government rules, all companies should ensure that 75 per cent of the manpower working in a project should be from Jharkhand.
Nagaraju assured the Chief Minister that after holding a meeting with the allottees of various coal mining companies, instructions would be given to them to deploy 75 per cent manpower in the mining work of the state itself.
In the meeting, a special discussion was held on the positive steps being taken by the officials of the Central and state government for commissioning of many more coal blocks.
Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, Additional Chief Secretary L.Khyangte, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Rajiv Arun Ekka and other officers were present in the meeting, the release added.