Families displaced from the Jharia mine fire zone in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district will be provided flats on a lease basis at Belgaria township, Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said on Wednesday. Addressing a programme at the township, the minister clarified that the displaced families would be allowed to live in the flats for generations, but the properties cannot be sold. Reddy also inaugurated a series of development projects at Belgaria township, which has been developed by the Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) to rehabilitate families affected by underground coal mine fires and subsidence-prone areas. He said both the central and state governments are committed to relocating residents from dangerous zones to safer locations, with the district administration, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and JRDA working together to protect the interests of affected communities. The minister noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally reviews the Jharia fire zone situation every month, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. He said the primary objective behind developing Belgaria township is to ensure the safety of residents while improving their overall standard of living. For this purpose, Jharia Master Plan-2 has been prepared to guide long-term rehabilitation efforts. Under the Jharia Master Plan, around 0.14 million residents living in hazardous fire-affected and subsidence-prone areas of the Jharia coalfield operated by BCCL are to be shifted to safer locations, an official said. Reddy also met residents of Belgaria township and assured them that the Prime Minister is keen to resolve their concerns. The relocation drive was expedited following a carbon monoxide gas leak in the Kenduadih area of BCCL on December 3, which resulted in the deaths of two women and left more than 100 residents ill. Officials said the Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited (CIL), BCCL and the Jharkhand government have intensified efforts to move residents out of high-risk zones. Senior officials, including CIL Chairman B Sairam, BCCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Manoj Agrawal, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan, Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar and Dhanbad MP Dhulu Mahto, were present at the event.