New Delhi: In a proactive step towards inclusive growth, NMDC Limited Chairman & Managing Director Amitava Mukherjee, along with senior leadership, held a meeting with Panchayat heads from villages surrounding NMDC’s projects in Dantewada. The interaction focused on addressing grassroots concerns and strengthening support for local ecosystems.
More than a dozen sarpanches and their representatives from villages including Gumiyapal, Samalwar, Kalepal, Cholnar, Kadampal, Hiroli, Benpal, Kodenar, Madkamiras and Kutrem spoke of everyday challenges related to drinking water, road connectivity, healthcare, street lighting, sports facilities, and overall rural infrastructure.
Senior leadership present at the meeting included Krishna Kumar Thakur, Director (Personnel) along with senior project leadership including K. Sreedhar Kodali, CGM (Mining), Bacheli Complex, and Rabindra Narayan, Executive Director, Kirandul Complex.
Addressing the gathering, the CMD emphasized NMDC’s role not only as a mining major but also as a responsible public sector enterprise committed to uplifting the socio-economic fabric of our regions. He noted that the company’s strength lies in the trust of the communities it serves, and that their concerns guide its actions while their progress defines its success. “We will work with these villages to turn them into self‑reliant settlements that reflect the spirit of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
Villagers near NMDC’s Bailadila mines expressed happiness at the discussions on facilities like better water, roads, and healthcare. “Top leaders met us face-to-face, really listening to our requirements,” said a local Panchayat representative. This direct outreach by the company’s senior directors has instilled fresh hope for tangible change.
Krishna Kumar Thakur, Director (Personnel) assured that NMDC will remain in constant dialogue with local communities and that the concerns shared in these interactions will directly guide upcoming development initiatives.
Since commencing operations in Bailadila in 1968, NMDC has played a pivotal role in advancing both industrial growth and regional development through its Bacheli and Kirandul complexes. Over the years, the company has emerged as a catalyst for economic and infrastructure development in Dantewada. As India’s largest iron ore producer, trust in NMDC runs deep in Dantewada, woven quietly over 68 years. Drinking water projects, roads, sports grounds, clinics are areas where NMDC has brought changes. Today’s voices from the ground and grassroot concerns from tribals will nudge them further, refining fixes in good ways.
