Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Friday expressed concern over peoples exposure to the dust pollution-related disease in abandoned mining areas and urged coal companies to fill up the mining areas after completion of their mining work.
He said under the mining policy, parks and public utilities should be constructed after filling-up of abandoned mines.
"Lekin coal companiyon dwara iss niyam ki andekhi ki ja rahi hei (but coal companies are ignoring the rules)," an official release said quoting the chief minister.
Das said during his interaction with common people of the abandoned mining areas he came to know about dust pollution-related disease.
During a meeting at his residence, where Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi and other officials were present, Das said, "People in the mining areas are constrained to spend their lives amid dust (pollution). (We) have to free them from this (pollution). Wherever mining work is completed, the area should be filled up and parks and public utilities should be constructed, which is under the policy."
Das also suggested developing the mining areas and make settlements for local people and urged the coal ministry to help in this regard.
The Coal Minister said jobs as per merit will be given to one person of each family that had lost land for mining under the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BBCL).
The BCCL mostly has its command areas in the states Dhanbad district.
The Coal Minister also gave his consent to development initiatives to be taken up by Coal India and its subsidiaries under the Corporate Social Responsibilities as per the state governments priorities.
The chief minister said the state government is encouraging small and cottage industries and urged the Coal ministry to allot coal blocks to the Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited so that small industries could be supplied with coal.
"Several people could get jobs in cottage industries and their standard of life would improve. The government will open skill training centres for them," Das added.
The CMD of the Central Coalfields Limited, Gopal Singh, the state Mines department secretary A B Siddique and senior officials of the state and the coal ministry were present at the meeting.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
