Jharia Master Plan: Recommendations for Rehabilitation in Affected Areas
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COAL
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4479
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025
Jharia Coalfield Master Plan
Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram: Shri Dulu Mahato:
Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:
(a) the details of objectives and achievements of the Jharia Coalfield Master Plan along with the financial allocation and expenditure made during its implementation;
(b) the current status of the Jharia Master Plan along with the recommendations made by the committee regarding rehabilitation in the affected areas; and
(c) the status of the revised Jharia Master Plan along with the improvements which are recommended in the said plan?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF COAL & MINES
(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)
(a): Jharia Master Plan was approved on 12th August, 2009 by the Government of India with a budget of ₹ 7112.11 Cr. with a tenure of 12 years. The two main objectives of the Jharia Master Plan were:
I) Dealing with fire
II) Rehabilitation and resettlement of:
- Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) employees
- Non-BCCL families [Legal Title Holder (LTH)/ Non-Legal Title Holder (Non-LTH)] and other infrastructures (religious places, schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations etc.) in the endangered areas.
The achievements of the Jharia Master Plan, 2009 are:
1. BCCL, in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, conducts periodic surveys to delineate surface fire areas. As per the latest 2024–25 survey, the surface fire extent has reduced significantly from 8.9 sq. km (as recorded in the 2009 Master Plan) to 1.53 sq. km, and the number of fire locations has declined from 67 to 18.
2. Regarding rehabilitation, 4479 BCCL families and 2855 Non-LTH families have been rehabilitated till 30.06.2025.
3. Expenditure made during the implementation of the Jharia Master Plan is as under:
| Expenditure till 30.06.2025 (₹. Cr.) | |
| BCCL | 1443.18 |
| JRDA | 1090.83 |
| Total | 2534.01 |
(b) & (c): The tenure of Jharia Master Plan has ended on 11.08.2021. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Revised Jharia Master Plan for Dealing with Fire, Subsidence, and Rehabilitation of affected families on 25.06.2025 and is under implementation by BCCL and JRDA. The suggestions/improvements based on the recommendations made by the committees under the chairmanship of the Secretary (Coal) and the Additional Secretary (Coal) are as follows:
- Phased Risk-based approach to be adopted for the implementation of the Rehabilitation Plan. In the first phase, most vulnerable sites with immediate danger to human life are to be taken up and in the second phase, comparatively less risky and less dangerous sites will be dealt with.
- Coal India Ltd./ BCCL will deal with present fire and any future outbreak.
- No further houses to be constructed and ownership rights of houses already constructed to be given on long-term lease. A new option of cash compensation in place of the house, after exhaustion of the existing stock of constructed houses.
- Revised cut-off date of 2019 to be taken as the final survey for entitlement of families.
- Infrastructure owning State/ Central government departments shall realign/reroute/reconstruct infrastructures at their own cost.
- Strengthening of JRDA with suitable executive orders/statutes and Monitoring Committee under co-chairmanship of Secretary (Coal) & Chief Secretary, Jharkhand and appointment of a permanent CEO of Joint Secretary rank from the Government of Jharkhand equivalent to Joint Secretary rank of Government of India.
- Enhanced package to LTH and Non-LTH families compared to the previous plan. The LTH families will be provided compensation for land and infrastructure as per the provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act 2013 as well as assistance for rehabilitation. The non- LTH families would receive the assistance for rehabilitation.
- Provision of Livelihood interventions through skill development for alternative employment and establishment of Microenterprises
- Upgradation of civic infrastructures at Rehabilitation and Resettlement site
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