Abstract

Dr. Sribas Goswami

This paper throws light on some burning issues of coal mining sector in contemporary West Bengal. Expansion of coal mining to a large scale is required and it presents enormous challenges not only in ensuring safe and efficient resource extraction techniques, pollution control and road/rail infrastructure development, but most importantly making the coal sector responsive to emerging social issues related to mining. Enormous challenges in this regard include transparent and responsible community consultation, involvement and participatory development, responsible resettlement and rehabilitation of mine-affected populations, and reassessment of several Government regulations, policies and legal instruments relating to land acquisition and mine operations. Beside land accusation factor entire coal mining sector is now facing some problems related to internal human resource management. This paper aims to focus particularly on some underlying issues relating to human resource on one side and society’s reaction against land acquisition on the other.