Coal India urged to enhance allocation to Chhattisgarh industries

State demands higher share of fuel as it accounts for a major chunk of CIL's output, claims it is losing Rs 200 cr a year in revenue as some industries are importing coal

Coal India Limited (CIL) had been urged to enhance coal supply to industries in Chhattisgarh, which accounted for the lion's share in the company’s total output.

“About 25 per cent of CIL’s coal production comes from Bilaspur (in Chhattisgarh) but the local industries are not getting sufficient quantities of the fuel,” said Chhattisgarh Janta Congress legislator Dharamjit Singh, while raising the issue in the state legislative assembly. South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), CIL's flagship arm, has major operations in Chhattisgarh and is the highest coal-producing company in the country.

Over 200 industries in Chhattisgarh are dependent on coal, including captive power plants with a combined installed capacity of 4,000-Mw, Singh said. He claimed that since CIL had failed to provide sufficient coal to local industries, many of them had curtailed production to half their installed capacities. 

Singh added that the state was incurring a revenue loss of Rs 200 crore a year due to coal imports by a few companies.  
“I have urged the Chief Minister (Bhupesh Baghel) to invite CIL's Chairman-cum-Managing Director and discuss the issue of increasing the allocation for local industries,” Singh said. Since the state government had provided land and facilitated the required clearances for mining, it was CIL's responsibility to protect the interest of Chhattisgarh's industries.

Singh said if the CIL increased the share just by 12-15 per cent, it would be a big relief for the industries in the state.