Modi Govt Clears ₹5,940 Crore Plan to Rehabilitate Families in Jharia Coalfield
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th June: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Revised Jharia Master Plan (JMP) aimed at addressing persistent issues of underground coal fires, land subsidence, and the rehabilitation of displaced families in the Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand. The revised plan involves a total financial outlay of ₹5,940.47 crore.
A key focus of the revised plan is a phased approach to prioritize the most vulnerable sites, ensuring immediate intervention for families exposed to hazardous living conditions due to decades-long underground fires and land collapses in the region.
The revised plan also marks a shift towards sustainable and humane rehabilitation, with strong emphasis on livelihood generation and economic self-reliance for displaced families. Each resettled family, including both Legal Title Holder (LTH) and Non-Legal Title Holder (Non-LTH) categories, will receive a livelihood grant of ₹1 lakh and credit support of up to ₹3 lakh through an institutional pipeline to encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment.
To further support this, a Jharia Alternative Livelihoods Rehabilitation Fund will be established to facilitate employment-linked initiatives. Additionally, targeted skill development programmes will be carried out in collaboration with Multi Skill Development Institutes in the region.
The revised plan also mandates comprehensive infrastructure development at resettlement sites. This includes the construction of roads, electricity supply, water systems, sewerage, schools, hospitals, skill centres, and community facilities, ensuring a holistic rehabilitation environment. All provisions will be implemented as per recommendations by the Committee for Implementation of the Revised Jharia Master Plan.
Jharia, one of India’s largest coalfields, has long suffered from underground mine fires and associated displacement, posing severe health and safety hazards. The revised master plan is seen as a major step forward in offering permanent relief, sustainable development, and socio-economic stability to the affected population.
