-MoS Satish Chandra Dubey Reviews CMPDI Performance, Stresses Clean Coal and Critical Mineral Exploration
New Delhi : Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey chaired a high-level review meeting on the performance of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) in Ranchi on May 14, 2026. The meeting was attended by CMPDI CMD Chaudhari Shivraj Singh, CCL CMD Nilendu Kumar Singh, MECL CMD I. D. Narayan, along with senior officials and technical directors from CMPDI, CCL and MECL.
During the review, CMPDI presented its achievements across exploration, report preparation, capital expenditure, R&D initiatives, CSR activities and solar projects for 2025-26, along with targets set for 2026-27.
The Minister appreciated CMPDI’s performance and stressed the importance of clean coal technologies and strategic exploration of critical minerals to strengthen India’s future energy and economic security. He also directed CMPDI management to simplify procurement procedures, improve transparency and enhance market outreach to ensure wider bidder participation and avoid delays in project execution.
Highlighting sustainable development, Shri Dubey emphasized transforming mine closure sites into socio-economic opportunities for local communities. He suggested promoting Fox Nuts (Makhana) cultivation and fisheries in reclaimed mining areas under the Government’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. The move aims to convert abandoned mines into productive agricultural and aquaculture assets, creating long-term livelihood opportunities for local residents.
During the meeting, CMPDIL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) to strengthen cooperation in coal and mineral exploration for both energy and non-energy minerals. The agreement, signed in the presence of Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, is expected to boost the national inventory of coal and other minerals while supporting the development of new mining projects across the country.
The initiative is being seen as a significant step towards the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, aimed at enhancing India’s mineral wealth and promoting self-reliance in the mining and mineral sector.