Odisha may rope in CMPDI to demarcate coal block boundarie

The Odisha govt now wants Central Mine Planning Design Institute, a CIL subsidiary to be involved in the process

After coming out with detailed guidelines for DGPS (differential global positioning system) survey of coal blocks allocated to companies other than Coal India Ltd (CIL), the Odisha government now wants Central Mine Planning Design Institute (CMPDI), a CIL subsidiary to be involved in the process.

"Although the concerned allocatee companies will get the DGPS/ETS (electronic  total station) survey done through Odisha Space Application Centre (ORSAC), the involvement of CMPDI in the process of demarcation of the coal block boundary is considered essential to ensure that the coal block boundaries are correctly demarcated and the cadastral plans are prepared on the basis of location plans supplied by CMPDI”, Rajesh Verma, principal secretary (steel & mines) wrote to chairman cum managing director (CMD) of CMPDI.

Verma has urged CMPDI to spare the services of its concerned officers to participate in the process of demarcation of coal blocks by ORSAC.

He pointed out that sometimes due to inaccurate demarcation of coal block boundaries, the cases pertaining to PL (prospecting license), ML (mining lease) and acquisition of land is getting delayed. Incorrect demarcation of coal block boundaries may also invited legal complications in the future, he said.

After allocation of coal blocks by the Ministry of Coal, the allocatee companies demarcate the boundaries of the coal blocks on the ground on the basis of location plans/geological plans supplied by CMPDI. Thereafter, the cadastral plans for the coal blocks are prepared. Based on these cadastral plans, the applications for grant of PL/ML and land acquisition are processed.

The state steel & mines department, in May this year, had issued guidelines for DGPS survey and preparation of digital geo-referenced maps for coal blocks. The survey of the coal block boundaries was to be done by ORSAC.

The DGPS survey was to be carried out in the presence of representatives of concerned coal block allocates, CMPDI, deputy director of mines and the concerned divisional forest officer and tahasildar. Allocatees of coal blocks having common boundary will also be notified to remain present during field demarcation.

According to the guidelines, all coal block allocates should apply to ORSAC for preparation of digital geo-referenced block boundary map. The coal block allotment order of the Ministry of Coal and CMPDI certified coal block map also needed to be submitted. The allocatee has to bear all the expenses associated with the DGPS survey and preparation of digital geo-referenced block map as per estimates submitted by ORSAC.