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History
Central Coalfields Limited – The
Historical March
Central Coalfields Limited is a Category-I Mini-Ratna
Company since October 2007. During 2009-10, coal production
of the company reached its highest-ever figure of 47.08
million tones, with net worth amounting to Rs. 2644 crore
against a paid-up capital of Rs. 940 crore.
Formed on 1st November 1975, CCL (formerly National Coal
Development Corporation Ltd) was one of the five
subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd. which was the first holding
company for coal in the country (CIL now has 8
subsidiaries).
Early History – Formation of NCDC
(Pre-nationalisation)
CCL had a proud past. As NCDC, it heralded the beginning of
nationalization of coal mines in India.
National Coal Development Corporation Ltd. (NCDC) was set up
in October, 1956 as Government-owned Company in pursuance of
the Industrial Policy Resolutions of 1948 and 1956 of the
Government of India. It was started with a nucleus of 11 old
state collieries (owned by the Railways) having a total
annual production of 2.9 million tonnes of coal.
Until the formation of NCDC, coal mining in India was
largely confined to the Raniganj coal belt in West Bengal
and the Jharia coalfields in Bihar (now in Jharkhand),
besides a few other areas in Bihar (now in Jharkhand) and a
part of Madhya Pradesh (now Chattishgarh also) and Orissa.
From its very beginning, NCDC addressed itself to the task
of increasing coal production and developing new coal
resources in the outlying areas, besides introducing modern
and scientific techniques of coal mining.
In the Second Five Year Plan (1956-1961) NCDC was called
upon to increase its production from new collieries, to be
opened mainly in areas away from the already developed
Raniganj and Jharia coalfields. Eight new collieries were
opened during this period and the production increased to
8.05 million tonnes by the end of Second Plan.
During Third Five Year Plan (1961-1966), though the
Corporation had built up a much larger production capacity,
it could not be utilized due to a sluggish domestic coal
market. Production had, therefore, to be pegged down and the
development of several collieries undertaken from the early
part of the Plan period, had to be suspended. By this time,
the contribution of NCDC to the nation’s coal production
(67.72 million tones) increased to around 9.6 million tonnes.
With gradual rise in the demand of coal due to commissioning
of new power plants and development of other coal-based
industries during Fourth Five Year Plan (1969-1974), NCDC’s
production increased to 15.55 million tonnes by the terminal
year of Fourth Five Year Plan, i.e, 1973-74.
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Fig. Shovel
loading a bottom discharge dumper in an opencast mine
in 1977-78 |
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Fig. Shovel
loading a rear discharge dumper in an opencast mine
2009-10 |
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NCDC played a
pioneering role in India’s coal industry by introducing
large-scale mechanization and modern and scientific methods
of coal mining for promoting conservation of high grades of
coal and exploiting deep coking coal seams necessitating
heavy capital investment and sophisticated technical skill.
NCDC went in for foreign collaboration with countries such
as Poland and the USSR besides limited collaboration with
Japan, West Germany and France.
NCDC’s role can be truly assessed by its contribution
towards growth of new coal resources in, what are known as,
the outlying areas. The opening of new mines in Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra brought about a significant
change in these regions by creating new opportunities of
industrialization and employment. Development of the
Singrauli coalfields has brought coal almost to the door
steps of northern India.
With the development and application of improved mining
techniques, emphasis on planning, design and research;
introduction of modern mine management systems and an
enlightened industrial relations policy, NCDC was able to
provide the infrastructure for the total nationalization of
coal industry in the country.
Nationalisation of Coal Mines:
A major event in the history of Indian coal industry during
the Fourth Plan Period (1969-74) was the nationalisation of
the erstwhile privately owned coal mines in two phases. In
the first phase, the management of coking coal mines was
taken over by the Government of India on 17th Oct. 1971 and
nationalization was effective from 5th January 1972. A state
owned company, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. was formed for
managing coking coal mines. For convenience of management,
BCCL collieries in the East Bokaro coalfields in Bihar (now
Jharkhand) were transferred to NCDC, and its projects in
Central Jharia region viz., Sudamdih and Moonidih deep shaft
mines were handed over, in stages to BCCL.
In the second phase of nationalisation, the management of
non-coking coal mines in the country, excepting the captive
coal mines of the two steel plants, viz, TISCO and IISCO,
was taken over by the Government on 31st January 1973. These
mines were subsequently nationalized with effect from 1st
May 1973 and another state-owned company, Coal Mines
Authority Ltd. (CMAL) came into being with headquarters at
Calcutta (now Kolkata) to manage and develop NCDC collieries
and other newly nationalized units. NCDC itself, in this
process, became a division of CMAL which owned 36 collieries
under commercial production in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra, besides four coal washeries, one by-product
coke oven plant, two large central workshops and manpower of
about 71,000.
The formation of CMAL witnessed regrouping of the coal mines
into three divisions, namely, Western, Central and Eastern.
The regrouping had to be done for the convenience of
management, keeping in view the geographical location of the
collieries.
- As a result,
NCDC units located in the States of Maharashtra and Madhya
Pradesh, with the exception of Singrauli coalfields,
became a part of the Western Division.
- The Central
Division consisted of all the old collieries of NCDC in
Orissa and Bihar (except Sudamdih and Moonidih which had
been handed over to BCCL) and those acquired by CMAL after
take-over in Giridih, East Bokaro, West Bokaro, South
Karanpura, North Karanpura, Hutar & Daltongunj Coalfields
in Bihar. The Central Division consisted of 64 collieries,
four coal washeries, one by-product coke oven plat, on
bee-hive coke plant and one central workshop having a
manpower of 1,11,500.
Formation of CCL
The CMAL, with its three divisions continued upto 1st
November 1975 when it was renamed as Coal India Limited (CIL)
following the decision of Govt. of India to restructure
the coal industry. The Central Division of CMAL came to be
known as Central Coalfields Limited and became a separate
company with the status of a subsidiary of CIL, which
became the holding company.
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