Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey on Saturday inaugurated the resumption of coal mining operations at the Rajhara Colliery of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, marking the restart of activity at the site after a gap of 15 years.

Coal mining at Rajhara had been suspended since 2010 due to what officials described as unavoidable reasons. Speaking at the event, Dubey said India was making steady progress in the coal sector and highlighted the importance of the CCL project for the region. He noted that the revival of mining operations would generate employment, contribute to local development and help curb outward migration, adding that the long-pending demand to restart the mine had been accorded high priority by the government.

The BJP Member of Parliament from Palamu said sustained efforts had been made at multiple levels to revive the project and that these had finally borne fruit. He added that the Rajhara Colliery area contains an estimated 4.5 million tonnes of Grade-9 coal.

CCL Chairman and Managing Director Nilendu Kumar Singh said the mine has a normal production capacity of 0.30 million tonnes per year, with a maximum potential of up to 0.50 million tonnes annually. He added that environmental clearance for the project is valid until February 2037, while the Consent to Operate is valid until March 2026, with the renewal process currently underway.

Officials said the resumption of mining at Rajhara is expected to support regional economic activity while strengthening domestic coal supply from Jharkhand.