Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, told the media that the government would invest Rs 12,500 crore for 35 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects completion on a priority basis. He said that scaling up domestic coal production should be a priority for all subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL) to ensure a continuous supply of coal even during monsoon. Two projects, including Dhoptala Open Cast Mine and foundation stone laying for the First Mile Connectivity project at Chandrapur in Maharashtra under the Western Coalfields Limited, will be inaugurated virtually. Joshi said that the Ministry of Coal prioritises coal gasification projects and brings in private firms and the latest technology for coal gasification as a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. The two projects have a combined investment of Rs 1190 crore. Dhoptala Open Cast Mine of Ballarpur Area will have a capacity of 2.50 million tonnes of coal per annum and involves a cost of Rs 720.87 crore. The open cast mine has a reserve of 53.11 million tonnes of coal and will be providing 795 employment opportunities directly, and the land area required for the project is 1,257.46 hectares. The FMC project of the Wani Area will have a capacity of 8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and involves an investment of Rs.471 crore for different segments. Some advantages of this project include an average reduction in coal road transportation by over 12 km, a substantial reduction in carbon and carbon dioxide emission and diesel consumption over conventional loading by tipper per payloader. Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, urged the Coal Ministry and CIL to avoid the present delay in obtaining land and approval from other departments for the new coal mines. Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve, called upon CIL and Western Coalfields Limited to attain the set targets of coal production for this financial year and smooth the supply of coal to the power sector. Image Source Also read: Coal India plans to complete 35 FMC projects by FY 2023-24