Guwahati, May 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy in New Delhi on Tuesday, advocating for the expansion of coal mining operations and improved coal linkages to support the state’s upcoming thermal power projects.
During their meeting at Shastri Bhawan, CM Sarma emphasized the need to expand operations at the Margherita coal mines in Upper Assam, aiming to boost the state’s revenue and fuel its energy infrastructure. He also highlighted the importance of exploring and extracting new mineral resources to drive economic growth in the region.
“Had a good meeting on securing Assam’s coal and mineral requirements with Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @kishanreddybjp Ji,” Sarma shared on X (formerly Twitter). “We had an in-depth discussion on building seamless coal linkages to the upcoming thermal power plants in the State; expanding operations at the Margherita coal mines and extraction of new minerals.”
Union Minister Reddy assured the Chief Minister that the Centre would examine Assam’s demands and provide the necessary support to meet the state’s coal and mineral needs. He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to assisting states in harnessing their full mineral potential under ongoing coal sector reforms.
Officials from the Ministry of Coal and Mines noted that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had recently approved amendments to the Shakti Policy. These revisions aim to simplify and streamline coal allocation to thermal power plants through a more transparent mechanism, which is expected to benefit states like Assam planning to expand their thermal energy infrastructure.
India recently achieved a significant milestone by producing and dispatching over one billion tonnes of coal in the 2024–25 fiscal year, underscoring the importance of strengthening state-level participation in coal production and logistics.
Accompanying CM Sarma were Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. K.K. Dwivedi, and Resident Commissioner Kavitha Padmanabhan, along with other senior officials from Assam Bhawan and the Ministry of Coal and Mines.
This meeting is part of the Assam government’s broader initiative to unlock new avenues of growth through natural resource development and enhance energy security for the state.
Also Read: BJP ramps up campaign for BTR elections following Panchayat triumph
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
