REVISED JHARIA MASTER PLAN (2025)
Jharia Master Plan
Access the approved plan documents and a clear, policy‑ready summary of the Revised Jharia Master Plan (2025): coverage, rehabilitation entitlements, infrastructure, social support, and environmental management.
Key Features of the Revised Jharia Master Plan (2025)
1. Scope of Coverage
- Applicable to 81 most vulnerable sites (7 Mineable + 74 Non‑Mineable) and 27 NRSC‑identified fire sites in Jharia Coalfield.
- Covers rehabilitation of 15,080 families:
- 649 BCCL families
- 1,130 LTH (Legal Title Holder) families (subject to verification)
- 13,301 Non‑LTH families
2. Institutional Mechanism
- Restructured JRDA with Monitoring & Implementing Committees.
- Coal India Ltd. (CIL) empowered to implement fire‑control and make financial re‑appropriations.
- BCCL to handle fire‑dealing in mineable sites.
3. Rehabilitation Package
A. Compensation for LTH (Legal Title Holder) Families
These are families with legal ownership documents for their land and homestead.
- Land & Asset Compensation: As per LARR Act, 2013 or CBA Act.
- Housing Option:
- One 50 m² house, or
- Livelihood Support:
- ₹1 lakh livelihood grant (two instalments)
- Loan facility up to ₹3 lakh through credit pipeline
- Rental Assistance: ₹1 lakh (two instalments for one year’s rent)
- Shifting Assistance: ₹50,000 one‑time
B. Compensation for Non‑LTH Families
These are families without legal land ownership, but residing in the affected area.
- Housing Option:
- One 38.92 m² house, or
- Livelihood Support:
- ₹1 lakh livelihood grant (two instalments)
- Loan facility up to ₹3 lakh
- Rental Assistance: ₹1 lakh (two instalments for one year’s rent)
- Shifting Assistance: ₹50,000 one‑time
- Housing Option:
Key Principles:
- Choice‑based: House first; cash after housing stock is exhausted.
- Ownership Security: Long‑term lease rights for allotted houses.
- Uniformity: Comparable benefits; land compensation applies only to LTH.
- DBT: All cash components via Direct Benefit Transfer.
4. Infrastructure & Amenities
- Resettlement colonies to include:
- Schools, hospitals, community centres
- Water pipelines, sewerage, street lighting, electricity connections
- Waste management, roads, and transport links
- Belgaria Township to be upgraded and eventually notified as a municipal body.
5. Social Support Measures
- Skill development programmes and micro‑enterprise promotion for affected families.
- Coverage under pensions, insurance (PMJJBY, PMSBY, APY), and Ayushman Bharat.
- Support for Self‑Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperatives (e.g., bamboo craft, e‑rickshaw cooperatives).
6. Fire & Land Management
- 27 fire‑affected sites to be tackled by BCCL in a time‑bound manner.
- Scientific monitoring using satellite imagery, drones, and AI‑based tools.
- Vacated sites to be ecologically restored (plantation, stabilization, sustainable land use).
- JRDA to be given legal powers to enforce rehabilitation and prevent encroachment.
Benefits of the Revised Jharia Master Plan
For Communities
- Relocation of 15,080 families from high‑risk zones to safe, serviced housing.
- Ownership rights under long‑term lease.
- Improved living conditions: schools, hospitals, electricity, piped water.
- Financial security via compensation, livelihood grants, rent support, insurance.
- Employment through skill development and SHG enterprises.
For the State & Nation
- Safety of human lives in fire‑affected areas.
- Preservation of coking coal reserves; reduced loss from fires.
- Long‑term savings from reduced fire damage.
- Strengthened institutional capacity with restructured JRDA and oversight.
For the Environment
- Reduced air pollution and subsidence risk from underground fires.
- Ecological restoration of vacated sites.
- Sustainable development model integrating rehabilitation with safeguards.