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The commissioning of the Pootkee-Balihari Project (Dhanbad) of the Bharat Coaking Coal Ltd. has so far registered a delay upto 156 months due to a variety of reasons. These include, withdrawal of financial/budgetary support by the World Bank/Union Government, adverse geo-mining conditions, rise in the water table level , sinking of shafts, adverse roof conditions and trade union problems.
The Project sanctioned in December 1983, at an estimated cost of nearly Rs.200 crore, with a rated production capacity of three million metric tonnes per annum, was to be completed by March 1994. An expenditure of over Rs.172 crore has already been incurred on the project.
Following serious problems encountered in the Project, it was subsequently derated with a production capacity of 68 lakh tonnes per annum, at a capital cost of nearly Rs.183 crore and a completion schedule of, by March 2003. The technology adopted for mining was also changed to conventional methods. Major mine development works have since been completed and coal production (below target) already commenced. However, the final completion date of the project is now scheduled for March 2007.
The other project on the monitor of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in the Coal Sector is the Basundhara (West) open-cast mine in Orissa, of the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. As per the latest report of the ministry, the project is running on schedule.
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