Gujarat's GMDC approves land acquisition, rehabilitation plan for Baitarani-West coal block

New Delhi: Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) on Wednesday approved a land acquisition and rehabilitation plan to expedite measures to start mining at the Baitarani-West coal block in Odisha.

The company's board has approved the Land and Resettlement & Rehabilitation (R&R) plan for the mine, which is one of the largest coal mines in India, according to a regulatory filing.

"After the approval, GMDC shall move towards the opening of the coal mine with a peak rate capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum in Odisha," the company said.

With 468 million tonne mineable reserves, Baitarani-West would become one of the top 20 coal-producing mines in the country, contributing towards the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, it said.

"The plan for the land acquisition comprises government and private land with approximate area of 154.3 Ha (hectare) and 199.86 Ha, respectively. The R&R plan is being designed for 1,500 affected families in the area," the company said.

GMDC has five operational lignite mines in Kutch and Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

With an output of 7.6 million tonne per annum, GMDC is the second-largest producer of lignite in India.