Chhattisgarh: Coal Secretary inaugurates SECL's Chhal coal siding, inspects project

Raigarh (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 20 : On the second day of the Chhattisgarh tour on Saturday, Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena reached Chhal through a power wagon from Kharsia Railway Station, and inaugurated the coal siding near Chhal village in Raigarh district, officials said.

Coal secretary Meena also flagged off the rail rakes during the course of his visit, said an official release.

Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) Dr Prem Sagar Mishra and SECL Functional Directors were also present on this occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Coal Secretary said that under the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti Yojana, the infrastructure related to the transportation of coal is being developed in the country.

He said, "I am confident that this rail corridor will prove to be an important milestone in this regard."

He also called upon the local administration and the residents present to give all possible support in meeting the country's energy needs.

According to the release, the Chaal siding has been constructed under the Chhattisgarh East Railway Limited (CERL) Phase 1 project and will connect the bark mine of Raigarh region directly to the rail route and coal dispatch by rail will be done directly from here, which will save both time and money in coal dispatch.

The Chhattisgarh East Railway Limited (CERL) Phase 1 project, being built at a cost of more than Rs 3000 crore, aims to connect the Mand-Raigarh coalfields by rail. Under this 124-km-long project, a 74-km-long main rail line from Kharsia to Dharamjaigarh, a 30-km-long spur line from Gharghoda to Pelma, and a 20-km-long feeder line from Chhal, Baroud, and Durgapur are being constructed, it added.

In terms of coal reserves, Korba Coalfields is followed by Mand-Raigarh Coalfields and as coal production expands, these rail projects will play an important role in dispatching more and more coal in the coming time.

On behalf of the local administration, Raigad District Collector Taran Prakash Sinha and Raigarh SP Sadanand Kumar, and SECL Raigarh Area General Manager Hemant Sharad Pandey were present.

Coal Secretary Meena inspects the CEWRL rail project being developed in SECL Korba coalfields. Meena in the second leg of his visit inspected the railway line being constructed from Gevra Road to Pendra Road under Chhattisgarh East West Railway Limited (CEWRL) project in SECL's Korba coalfields.

He along with SECL CMD Prem Sagar Mishra and SECL Functional Directors inspected bridge no. 3 of Urga Kusmunda Connectivity Line. During this, he talked to the officials and inquired about the project's progress, and issued necessary directions.

The release said that this project will play an essential role in the transportation of coal from SECL's mega projects operating at Korba Coalfield. The project is 191 km long which includes the work of 135.3 km of main line.

The project consists of Gevara Road, Surakachhar, Dipka, Katghora Road, Bijhara, Putua, Mateen, Sendurgarh, Puttipakhana, Bhadi, Dhangawan, and Pendra Road stations. Passenger facilities will also be developed at these stations along with the railway line in the entire corridor, it added.

"The total cost of the CEWRL project is about Rs 4970 crore and land acquisition and forest clearance for its main line has been completed. The project is expected to be completed by December 2023", further read the release.