G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Coal & Mines, arrived in Neyveli on February 22, 2026 for a review of projects and inauguration of the first ever National Workshop on Mine Closure held at Neyveli.

The Minister was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival by Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLCIL along with Functional Directors. The Union Minister was presented a ceremonial guard of honour by CISF personnel. The Minister had an interaction with members of Trade Unions, Associations, Federations and stakeholders. He later reviewed NLCIL Operations and Growth Plans with senior executives of NLCIL.

On February 23, 2026, G Kishan Reddy undertook an official visit to the mining site, where he engaged in a meaningful interaction and shared breakfast with the Workforce, acknowledging their dedication and contribution to the sector.

During the visit, he participated in a tree plantation drive, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable mining practices. He also toured a paddy cultivation initiative developed on reclaimed mined land, highlighting the successful transformation of post-mining landscapes into productive agricultural assets.

As part of the community outreach initiatives, Reddy donated cows to tribal beneficiaries at the Goshala, supporting livelihood enhancement and rural self-sufficiency. He further visited the ecologically significant Bat Site, noted for its rich diversity of bat species, underscoring the importance of biodiversity conservation in mining areas.

The Minister also inaugurated the Butterfly Park established within the reclamation zone, a testament to the company’s ongoing ecological restoration efforts. The visit concluded with the inauguration of the Overburden-to-Sand Project, an innovative initiative aimed at sustainable resource utilization and value creation from mining by-products.

At the Lignite Hall, the Minister of Coal & Mines, G Kishan Reddy flagged off an eco-tourism bus initiative for school children, underscoring the importance of environmental awareness and responsible mining practices among the younger generation. He also visited various Stalls showcasing detailed Mine models and other prototypes, reflecting technical advancements and sustainable approaches within the Mining sector. Subsequently, the Hon’ble Minister inaugurated the landmark Two-day National Workshop titled “Moving Beyond Extraction – Mine Closure & Repurposing” marking a significant step towards re-defining India’s Mining paradigm.

The Workshop underscores a transformative shift in the Nation’s mining sector emphasising sustainable mine closure, ecological restoration and productive re-purposing of post-mining landscapes. The National Workshop, inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister consists of Paper presentation by participants on various topics and Panel discussions chaired by eminent subject experts, will conclude on 24.02.2026.

The event brought together high-ranking officials including Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary of Coal; Smt. Rupinder Brar, Addl. Secretary, Sanoj Kumar Jha, Addl. Secretary, Sajeesh Kumar, Coal Controller, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLCIL, B Sairam, CMD, CIL, Buddha Prakash Jyothi, CMD, SCCL, CMD and Directors from across the coal industry, Functional Directors of NLCIL, Senior officials of NLCIL and more than 200 delegates from all over India to establish a scientific and community-centric roadmap for post-mining land use.

Secretary of Coal Vikram Dev Dutt, in his address, remarked that NLCIL served as the ideal venue for this inaugural workshop due to its effective environmental initiatives. The workshop aims to build stakeholder awareness and create a focused framework for implementation across all mining domains, he said.

Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD of NLCIL, outlined the company’s extensive sustainability achievements, noting that NLCIL has already reclaimed 3,115 Hectares of the 6,473 Hectares utilized for mining. He detailed a robust circular economy model where mine overburden is converted into one million metric tonnes of M-sand, alongside the implementation of hi-tech farming, hydroponics, and a 200-cow Goshala. Beyond land restoration, NLCIL’s water management efforts help in irrigating 25,000 Hectares and supply drinking water to 62 villages as well as Chennai. With a target of 10 GW of renewable energy by 2030, the CMD emphasized that each Mine requires a scientific, tailor-made and community-centric restoration process.