New Policy required for Land use under CBA Act, 1957

 ~Preet.

The Union Cabinet has adopted a policy for the use of land acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act of 1957 [CBA Act]. The policy calls for the use of such land for the development and construction of coal and energy infrastructure. 

The policy establishes a clear policy framework for the use of lands acquired under the CBA Act that are no longer appropriate or economically feasible for coal mining operations; or sites from which coal has been mined out / de-coaled and such land has been reclaimed. Government coal firms, such as Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and its subsidiaries, would continue to own the lands acquired under the CBA Act. The government firm that owns the property would lease it for the time period specified in the policy. In order to obtain best value, leasing firms must be selected through a transparent, fair, and competitive bid process and method. The lands will be examined for operations such as the establishment of washeries, coal gasification, and coal-to-chemical plants, as well as the establishment or provision of energy-related infrastructure. 

Without the transfer of ownership from government firms, the establishment of diverse coal and energy-related infrastructure would result in the creation of a huge number of direct and indirect jobs. Lands that have been mined out or are physically unsuited for coal mining are vulnerable to unlawful intrusion and incur unnecessary security and maintenance costs. The unlocking of non-minable land for other purposes will also assist CIL in lowering its operating costs because it will be able to build coal-related infrastructure and other projects such as solar plants on its own land through the use of different business models in collaboration with the private sector. It will make coal gasification projects feasible since coal will not need to be transported to remote locations.

The proposal to use land for rehabilitation purposes would ensure proper land utilisation and eliminate wastage of all-important land resources, avoid the acquisition of new chunks of land for rehabilitation of Project Affected Families, avoid adding additional financial burden to the projects, and increase profit. It will also meet the demand of displaced families, who prefer to stay as close to their original residences as possible. It will aid in garnering local support for coal projects, as well as supplying land to the State Government for afforestation in place of forest area diverted for coal mining.

The Policy will contribute to the achievement of Atmanirbhar Bharat's aim by stimulating domestic production, decreasing import reliance, creating jobs, and so on. The strategy would make land available for different coal and energy infrastructure development operations, encouraging investment in underserved parts of the country. Utilization of already acquired land would help avoid new land acquisition and accompanying displacement, as well as support local manufacturing and businesses.