The Jtdc–ccl Memorandum of Understanding (mou): the Policy Explanation and Institutional Framework for Jharkhand's Mining Tourism Initiative.
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The institutional framework and policy justification for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) to start India's first state-run miningtourism initiative are examined in this study.Signed in July 2025, the agreement sets up a five-year contract to create thematic circuits that combine industrial legacy with local natural and cultural assets and to offer guided tours of the North Urimari open-cast mine (Ramgarh area).The study puts the initiative within Jharkhand's tourism policy priorities, evaluates the stated justifications-economic diversification, heritage interpretation, and experiential education-and reconstructs the MoU's operational architecture (roles, duration, booking/price arrangements, safety responsibilities) using only secondary data (official press releases, media reports, public statements, and related policy documents).Based on the findings, the MoU uses a public-PSU partnership model, with JTDC managing bookings and revenue collection and CCL taking care of site logistics, guides, and safety clearance.Slightly smaller guided groups (10-20 people), fewer weekly departures, and tentative pricing (reported at ₹2,500-₹2,800 per person) are among the initial operational parameters.JTDC additionally pays CCL a small charge per person for on-site hospitality.The media frames safety, preservation of the environment, and community inclusion while highlighting innovation, education, and state pride.The study ends with governance recommendations to improve safety transparency, community benefit-sharing, monitoring and evaluation techniques, and a research agenda for comprehensive primary evaluation of impacts.
Authors: Ashish Kumar, R.C. Anu Chandran
Institution: Pondicherry University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4414360922
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