The Mamata Banerjee government is set to float tenders for the mining of basalt from a significant portion of the proposed coal mine in Deocha-Pachami in Birbhum district early next year.

The mining of the basalt (a kind of rock) is the first major step before extracting coal from Deocha-Pachami which has an indicative coal reserve of 1,198 million tonnes and is spread over 12.31sqkm.

“We have identified 420 acres, which are free from all encumbrances, for the mining of the basalt and it can be initiated right away before we proceed to extract coal. In this particular area, coal has been found 100 to 200 meters under the layer of the basalt. So, extracting the basalt is important before coal is mined here. Tenders will be floated within a couple of weeks for the basalt mining,” said a senior state government official.

Sources said a number of agencies had already shown interest in taking part in the tender process as the demand for the basalt in Deocha-Pachami is high in the state as well in the country.

“The basalt found in Deocha-Pachami is famous for its superb quality and is used in the construction of buildings and roads and bridges. A total of 142 million tonnes of basalt could be extracted from the area that has been identified by the state government. This is why many agencies have already shown interest in taking part in the tender process,” said another official.

The state could earn a sum of Rs 5,620 crore by auctioning off the basalt to be mined from the 420-acre area.

Initially, the government had decided to sell the basalt to Bangladesh as the demand for the same is high in the neighbouring country. But later, the government dragged its feet since it would require the Centre’s permission for the sale of the basalt to Bangladesh and given the shaky relationship between the Mamata Banerjee administration and the Narendra Modi dispensation, Bengal might not get the approval easily.

“The private companies can send the basalt to Bangladesh easily…. Also, they can supply the rock to different parts of the state as well as the country,” said a source.

Officials said they hoped that there would not be any resistance from the residents, a section of whom has been opposing the coal mine project.

“The government owns 200 of 420 acres and for the remaining 220 acres, we have either bought directly or secured consent from the owners. There will be no displacement of people. Nor will be there trouble for existing stone quarries and stone crushing units. So, there is a little chance of resistance from local people,” said a source.

Sources said if the tenders for the basalt mining were floated ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, it would give an advantage to the Trinamul Congress as the proposed coal mine was likely to generate about 1 lakh jobs. “As Trinamul faces questions over lack of employment opportunities in Bengal, the progress in the mining of coal at Deocha-Pachami gives the ruling party a cushion to counter the narrative,” said a bureaucrat.