Cabinet may discuss Jharia Action Plan today

This would be the single biggest rehabilitation programme in any part of the world,where nearly 5,00,000 people would be rehabilitated with proper housing facilities, Coal India Limited chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya told The Indian Express over telephone from Kolkata. The company would construct houses for the 78,000 families that would be rehabilitated to safe areas,intended to accommodate all those living within the endangered zones,he said.

Besides BCCL employees,the plan seeks to relocate those engaged in industries,shops and establishments located on the endangered land. As some areas of Raniganj in West Bengal would also come under the plan,evacuation would need to be carried out there as well. There have been reports of sporadic opposition in the Jharia area,but Bhattacharrya exuded confidence that it could be tackled.