In a significant step towards women’s empowerment, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has moved to transform its merchandise depot into an all-women-operated facility by handing over complete operations of its Kajora Area Store in Durgapur to an all-female workforce. This marks a pioneering initiative in the coalfield region.
According to senior company officials, by establishing this entirely women-run ‘Model Store’, ECL has “created a new chapter in the country’s coal industry, where women are independently managing such a critical and responsible operation.”
Area stores in coalfields function as centralised warehouses, supplying essential machinery parts and materials to collieries within the area.
ECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Satish Jha inaugurated the facility on Friday. To ensure a smooth transition, the regional management upgraded infrastructure and enhanced the premises to make them more women-friendly.
Jha told The Statesman: “Women have been an integral part of ECL for decades, serving in multiple roles from crane operations to management positions. Now, following a directive from the Coal Ministry, we have taken a further step to ensure greater and more meaningful participation by entrusting them with independent and authoritative responsibilities.” He added that ECL had already converted its post-retirement medical board at its Sanktoria headquarters into a women-run unit. “The Kajora Store represents a much greater responsibility entrusted to our women workforce,” he said.
The defining feature of the Kajora Area Store is its 100 per cent female staffing. Every role ~ from senior officers and security personnel to technical staff ~ is handled exclusively by women. At present, around two dozen women have been deployed, taking on responsibilities ranging from technical operations such as operating heavy machinery and cranes for loading and unloading equipment, to inventory management, security and daily administration.
Rubi Chowhan, an assistant in the Kajora Area office, underwent rigorous training from August last year to qualify as a crane operator for the Model Store. She said: “It has been an exciting journey, moving from desk duties to becoming a crane operator. Male operators supported me throughout, and I gradually secured a heavy vehicle licence.”
ECL currently employs 3,553 female non-executives working alongside 41,649 male counterparts across the Raniganj coalfields, along with 142 female executives, said Gunjan Kumar Sinha, Director (HR), ECL.