To help expedite development of NTPC?s Pakri-Barwadih coal mine project in Jharkhand, the Union power ministry has requested the state government for an early issuance of no objection certificate (NOC) for forest and several other clearances.

The ministry has urged the Jharkhand government to issue a NOC or a provisional certificate for forest clearance pending physical verification of land record, finalisation of schedule of rates for various types of land, finalisation of rates for compensation for houses and associated infrastructure and create a special land acquisition cell for dealing exclusively with NTPC cases, for which NTPC will bear the cost.

The power ministry?s intervention is crucial as NTPC?s plan to develop the 15-mt per annum Pakri-Barwadih captive mine has been delayed for want of various clearances from the Jharkhand government.

The company had planned to start the first ?box-cut??a trench made in mining area to expose a portion of coal seam – by December 2007. NTPC had earlier projected that coal production to start by May 2008.

According to sources, in the absence of NOC from district authorities, the process of forest clearance and subsequently the clearance from the ministry of environment and forest has come to stand still. While notifications under Section 7/17 of the Land

Acquisition Act for land acquisition have already been issued, the next step for speedy acquisition of land would be early finalisation of the schedule of land rates and valuation of other assets, which are to be compensated under the Act.

Based on available state government records, NTPC had submitted a proposal on June 12, 2006, for acquisition of forestland for the project. The state forest department has asked for a NOC or consent from Hazaribagh district authority, on Jungle-Jhari (Revenue Forest) land. Hazaribagh district authority initiated the process of physical verification of land records, by organising camps at villages; however, there are no definitive indications on the completion of the exercise.

Moreover, for finalisation of relief and rehabilitation (R&R) package and its effective implementation, the state government has formed village development advisory committees (VDACs). NTPC has made several pleas to the state authorities to form a single VDAC or a single project-level advisory committee.

, so that one common R&R package can be finalised.