The Orissa High Court has directed Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) to take possession of land in Hensamul for the long-stalled Bhubaneswari open-cast mine expansion and to provide transit accommodation to 25 affected villagers within a month. 

The Court also ordered the residents to hand over the disputed land and instructed MCL to accelerate the completion of the resettlement site. The project had been on hold since 2015 due to a legal dispute involving 102 villagers from Talasahi hamlet, who had earlier received compensation, work, and plots under Odisha’s R&R policy but sought additional benefits in 2014. With the legal deadlock now resolved, MCL stated that expansion of the coal mine—crucial for meeting India's rising energy demand, can proceed. 

The Court’s ruling is seen as a major development in boosting coal output and addressing energy security, with MCL expected to fast-track the implementation of resettlement commitments.