Bilaspur : Coal India Limited Chairman Shri B. Sairam visited the Gevra Project of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) on Saturday, October 10, 2026, to review mining operations, assess productivity and interact directly with equipment operators, departmental employees and contractual workers.
During the visit, the Chairman inspected several operational areas of the mine, examined advanced mining equipment and reviewed the operational performance and future action plans of the Gevra and Dipka projects. The visit focused on understanding ground-level operational requirements and engaging with personnel directly involved in coal production.
Inspects Mining Operations and Advanced Equipment
Shri B. Sairam began his visit at the mine viewpoint, where he received a detailed briefing on the mine plan and an overview of ongoing operations.
He subsequently inspected the departmental mining patch and interacted with operators of the P&H shovel and 240-tonne dump trucks. The discussions provided an opportunity to understand equipment operations and the working conditions of personnel deployed in large-scale mining activities.
A key highlight of the visit was the Chairman’s inspection of India’s first Tata Hitachi 21-cubic-metre electric shovel. He personally climbed aboard the machine and examined its operator cabin, interacting with the operator to understand the equipment’s safety features, operational arrangements and ergonomic design.
He also inspected the Krishna shovel as part of his assessment of the mining equipment deployed at the project.
The inspection highlighted the importance of advanced machinery, operator safety and efficient equipment utilisation in supporting large-scale coal production.
Interacts with Contractual Workers at Mining Patches
Continuing his field inspection, Shri Sairam visited the coal face at the KJSL mining patch, where he interacted with contractual workers engaged in mining operations.
He later visited the Dev Mining patch and held discussions with departmental personnel and workers employed by the contracting agency. He also inspected the PNC and Sainik Mining patches to review activities across different operational areas of the Gevra project.
The direct interaction with equipment operators and workers formed an important part of the visit, enabling the Chairman to gain first-hand insight into field-level activities and the functioning of mining operations.
Reviews Coal Production, Productivity and Future Action Plan
At Gevra House, Shri Sairam chaired a review meeting with the teams from the Gevra and Dipka projects.
During the meeting, he reviewed key operational parameters, including coal production and productivity, and discussed the future action plan for the projects.
The review was aimed at assessing operational performance and examining plans for sustaining production and improving efficiency across the mining operations.
Gevra is one of SECL’s major coal mining projects and an important contributor to the company’s production capacity. Operational reviews at such large mining complexes are significant for monitoring production performance, improving equipment utilisation and supporting the broader coal supply requirements of the country.
Chairman to Visit Dipka and Kusmunda Mines
As part of his continued field-level assessment of SECL’s mining operations, Shri B. Sairam is scheduled to visit the Dipka and Kusmunda mines on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
The proposed visits will extend the review of operational activities across SECL’s major mining projects.
Senior SECL Officials Accompany Chairman
SECL Director (Technical–Operations) Shri Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra and Director (Technical–Projects & Planning) Shri Nripendra Nath accompanied the Coal India Chairman during the visit, along with other senior officials.
The visit underlines the importance of regular operational reviews, direct engagement with the workforce and assessment of mining equipment and productivity in strengthening the performance of SECL’s major coal-producing projects.
