Maha govt seeks centre’s intervention for Chhattisgarh coal block nod

11 Jan 2022 CW Team

Maharashtra has asked for the coal ministry’s involvement in obtaining forest approval for the Chhattisgarh government coal block allocated to its power stations in the Vidarbha area, becoming the second state to knock on the government's doors over mining limitations in a state that has the nation's third-largest coal deposits.

Last week, MAHAGENCO (Maharashtra State Power Generation Company) MD Sanjay Khandare wrote to coal secretary Anil Jain, saying the utility had met the requirements for forest diversion for the Gare Palma-II coal block in October last year, but the state government was yet to send its recommendation for Stage-I forest approval to the Government.

Khandare urged the ministry to interfere in the matter as early approval was necessary to begin production from the block, situated in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, by the October 2023 deadline. It is the second instance of setbacks being met by coal block owners in Chhattisgarh.

Rajasthan was the first to urge the Centre as the Chhattisgarh government stalled approvals for commencing two new mines and ramping up production from two others allotted to Rajasthan.

As both the states have the Congress in office, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot escalated the issue to party president Sonia Gandhi after his letters to Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel seeking prompt action went ignored. The Gare Palma-II block was granted in August 2015 to MAHAGENCO for fuelling the Koradi, Chandrapur-8 power facilities, the largest production complex in the state’s Vidarbha area.

The block has a peak yearly production capacity of more than 23 million tonnes. MAHAGENCO had applied for forest approval in 2016 for 214 hectares of forest land. However, the application could not be processed because of the unavailability of government land for compensatory afforestation.

Image Source

Equipment

12 Dec 2025

Schwing Stetter India Unveils New Innovations at Excon 2025

Schwing Stetter India unveiled more than 20 new machines at Excon 2025, marking one of its most significant showcases and introducing several India-first technologies to the construction equipment sector. The company launched the country’s first 56-metre boom pump designed and manufactured in India, the first fully electric truck mixer, the first CNG mixer variant and the first hybrid boom pump. Executives said the launch portfolio was engineered to support India’s move toward faster, greener and more vertically oriented infrastructure through advanced engineering, clean-energy solutions a..

SEPC Resolves Hindustan Copper Dispute, Wins Rs 725 Mn Order

Engineering, procurement and construction firm SEPC Ltd has recently settled a dispute with Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) and secured a mining infrastructure order valued at Rs 725 million from the state-owned company. SEPC informed the stock exchanges that it has executed a settlement deed with HCL, bringing closure to all inter-se claims and counterclaims arising from arbitration proceedings. As part of the settlement, SEPC will receive Rs 304.5 million as full and final payment, marking the resolution of all pending disputes between the two entities. The company also stated that Hindustan Co..

20% Ethanol Blending Cuts India’s CO2 Emissions by 73.6 Mn Tonnes

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that India has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 73.6 million metric tonnes due to the adoption of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol. He made the statement while replying to supplementary questions during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Describing ethanol as a green fuel, the minister said it plays a key role in reducing pollution while also supporting higher incomes for farmers. He underlined that ethanol blending contributes both to environmental sustainability and rural economic growth. Nitin Gadkari also po..