After NTPC and JSW back out, JPL secures Banai and Bhalumuda blocks — now holds nine coal mines in total
Raigarh.
The Jindal Group has further strengthened its dominance in Raigarh’s coal sector. After NTPC and JSW stepped back from the auction, it was believed that the Banai and Bhalumuda coal blocks might remain unallocated. But Jindal Power Limited (JPL) surprised everyone by successfully acquiring both.
With this, the Jindal Group now controls nine coal blocks — Gare Palma 4/1, Gare Palma 2/2, Gare Palma 4/3, Gare Palma 4/5, Gare Palma 4/6, Gare Palma Sector-1, Banai, and Bhalumuda among them. Together, these mines are expected to produce between 50 and 100 million tonnes of coal annually.
After 2015, when companies like Hindalco and Ambuja Cement entered Raigarh, many believed Jindal would face stiff competition. But the opposite happened. Hindalco eventually surrendered its Gare Palma 4/5 block, which JPL later acquired. In the latest auction, JPL also bagged Banai and Bhalumuda, further consolidating its position.
This is the first time in India that a single company controls so many coal blocks in one region.
In Raigarh’s Tamnar area, Jindal now has a massive coal cluster — one that is expected to play a key role in India’s commercial mining sector in the coming years.
Pressure Mounts on Tamnar
Tamnar already houses the district’s largest thermal power plant, owned by JPL. With most of the coal mines now under the same company, the region is set to face additional pressure.
Due to heavy mining and coal transportation, Tamnar’s roads are in poor condition, and healthcare, education, and drinking water facilities remain inadequate. Despite being the highest revenue-generating block in the district, the area sees little improvement in public amenities.
Local residents say, “Development is talked about a lot, but basic facilities remain the same. Mines are increasing, but the condition of villages hasn’t improved.”
The big question now: Will Jindal’s growing dominance bring prosperity to Tamnar — or more burden?
