CIL assures efforts for extra coal supply to consumers

Friday, 17 Jun 2011

PTI reported that Coal India has assured the government that it will make efforts to increase coal availability to the users by 28 million tonnes in the current financial year to tide over the shortages.

Sources said Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal Coal Minister gave this assurance on behalf of the Maharatna PSU to the Group of Ministers which met last week to take stock of the problems affecting the coal production including those relating to clearances by the Environment Ministry.

An official said “Coal India will try to lift 28 million tonnes of coal from pithead.”

Company sources said besides the problem of environment clearances, the stock piled at the pitheads of the coal mines has reached 70 million tonnes. Coal India Ltd is facing difficulties in transporting the dry fuel from pithead to the consumers like power, steel and cements plants for want of railway rakes.

Mr Jaiswal assured the GoM that the CIL would make efforts to reduce the stockpile from 70 million tonnes to 42 million tonnes by March 2012.

CIL which accounts for over 80% of domestic production has been facing problems of coal evacuation due to the shortage of railway rakes.

(Sourced from PTI)