Coal India consolidating its sustainable development goals, says govt

The government on Thursday said state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) is quietly engaged in further consolidating its sustainable development goals.

In many of the backward and remote hamlets of the country, CIL and its subsidiaries are bringing about tangible improvements in basic amenities and the living standards of the villagers, the coal ministry said in a statement.

Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), one of the subsidiaries of CIL, is further strengthening the hands of the PSU to provide solar energy, other environmental friendly amenities and quality education facility in the remote villages of Purulia district of West Bengal.

''Now with 24x7 availability of solar unit light, I can study even in the night. I am getting better marks than earlier," said Roshni Hembram, a class XI student and aspiring teacher in one of the remote coal belt villages in Neturia block in Purulia.

Sabarani Mondal, a government school teacher in Lalpur village of Neturia, said, "Even with a power cut, we do not face any issue in teaching as the power backup of solar unit has now been installed in the school."

These and many more transformational changes can be seen in the villages of Neturia block with the hard work done by CIL with the help of ECL under sustainable development goals, the statement said.

ECL operates coal mines in Purulia, which is one of the backward districts of West Bengal.

CIL, being aware of its role in sustainable development in coal mining, decided to take up the challenge in converting 38 villages of Neturia Block into a model, it added.