Cabinet OKs revised Jharia Master Plan for fire-control, Pune Metro Phase-II

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the revised Jharia Master Plan (JMP) that will address issues of underground fires, land subsidence, and the rehabilitation of affected families in Jharia coalfields in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

The revised plan involves a total outlay of ₹5,940.47 crore.

Its implementation will follow a phased approach, prioritising fire control, land stabilisation, and relocation efforts in the most vulnerable areas of the coalfield that has been burning for over a century, since 1916. The updated plan places a stronger focus on sustainable rehabilitation, with a key emphasis on livelihood generation for the displaced families, officials said.


"The first phase of current Jharia Master Plan is for three years," information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told ET.

Under the original JMP 2009, active fire zones in the coalfield, spread across about 450 square km, shrunk significantly and the affected area has come down to about 1.8 sq km from about 17.32 sq km. The original first phase allocation was ₹7,112 crore, officials said.

Under the new plan, the government will roll out targeted skill development programmes and create income-generating opportunities for rehabilitated families.

Both legal and non-legal title holder families will receive a 'livelihood grant' of ₹1 lakh, along with credit support of up to ₹3 lakh through institutional lending channels.

The resettlement sites will get infrastructure and amenities such as roads, electricity, drinking water supply, sewage systems, schools, hospitals and skill centres, among others. A Jharia Alternative Livelihoods Rehabilitation Fund will be created to promote employment-oriented activities, with skill-building initiatives.

Pune Metro

The cabinet on Wednesday also approved the second phase of the Pune Metro Rail Project for Rs 3,626.24 crore. It comprises two elevated corridors spanning 12.75 km with a total of 13 stations. The cost will be shared by the Centre, Maharashtra government and external agencies, an official statement said.

This project aims to strengthen East-West mass transit in Pune and is expected to be completed within four years.

The cabinet also gave its nod for setting up the South Asia regional centre of International Potato Centre (CIP) in Agra at an estimated cost of ₹111.5 crore.