In what could be termed as the biggest industrial severance, the board of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) --a Coal India Ltd's (CIL) subsidiary--has approved separation of 68,000 miners and shutting down operations in 64 mines, most of them in West Bengal. Confirming the decision, ECL top brass told the Economic Times that CIL and the Union coal ministry will approach the government for a final approval and seek a financial assistance of around Rs 1,500 crore to fund the proposed downsizing.