CIL to hire outside agency for sustainability guidance

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) would hire a consulting firm to guide the PSU on sustainability matters, its chairman N C Jha said today.

The outside agency would be hired this financial year and would suggest CIL on how to address the issue and to develop a strong reporting system.

He said sustainability of the environment and stakeholders were two important issues which the mining firm was facing.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on sustainability here, Jha said CIL had earmarked a non-lapsable budget of Rs 250 crore towards overall CSR activity, out of which sustainability was included.

He said since 1991, CIL had planted 72 million trees to protect the environment, adding that more would have to done.

In the MoU signed with the government this year, a sustainability clause was inserted, Jha said.