Korba: In a significant move towards promoting women’s leadership in the mining industry, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), has inaugurated the company’s first fully women-operated Central Store Unit at its Central Workshop in Korba.
Launched under the Government of India’s Special Campaign 5.0, the initiative marks another milestone in SECL’s efforts to advance women-led development. It follows the company’s earlier success in setting up Coal India’s first all-women-operated dispensary at Bilaspur.
The new Central Store Unit will handle spare parts supply and inventory management, operated entirely by a team of eight women officers and staff led by Sapna Ikka, Senior Manager (E&M) and alumna of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The unit operates on a modern SAP-based digital platform for transparent and efficient record management.
The inauguration ceremony began with a lamp-lighting ritual, followed by the ribbon-cutting by Harish Duhan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, SECL. The event was attended by N. Franklin Jaykumar, Director (Technical/Operations); Biranchi Das, Director (HR); R.C. Mahapatra, Director (Technical/Planning & Projects); and Himanshu Jain, Chief Vigilance Officer, SECL. Women employees who have shown exemplary performance at the workshop were also felicitated.
Speaking on the occasion, CMD Harish Duhan said, “Following the success of the women-operated dispensary at Bilaspur, we are proud to see women taking charge of a core operational unit at Korba. Such initiatives resonate with the vision of Union Minister of Coal, G. Kishan Reddy, who emphasizes enhanced participation and leadership of women in the coal sector.”
The establishment of the all-women Central Store Unit marks a step forward in Coal India’s efforts to create inclusive and self-reliant industrial operations, reinforcing its commitment to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
BI Bureau
