Coal ministry seeks details of struck CIL project

To appoint nodal officers to expedite projects

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At a time state-run coal major is drawing flak from all quarters for coal shortage across the country, the Coal ministry has sought details of Coal India projects stuck due to environmental issues to push for early clearances. The ministry is also likely to appoint nodal officers for each of the CIL subsidiaries to monitor these long-pending projects.

This comes after Coal India(CIL) made a presentation on its projects awaiting environment and forest clearances to Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal recently.In the presentation, CIL identified clearance hurdle as the biggest challenge confronting the miner.

"Despite all the criticism CIL is facing, the fact remains clearances have come into the way of CIL's production in a big way. The Coal minister has been apprised of this and now the ministy has sought details of the stuck projects," an official said.

In order to push for early clearances Coal minisitry is likely to take up the issues with ministry of environment and forest.

According to sources, all the subsidiaries of CIL would be providing lists of its stuck projects to the ministry. "The idea is to have a nodal official for each of the coalfields for monitoring these the stuck projects. This would fast-track and expedite these long-pending projects," the official added.

According to CIL sources, around 168 projects of CIL are awaiting clearances from MoEF, hurting production of 200 million tonnes of coal per annum. Apart from this there about 70 projects, which are awaiting clearances from state governments.

CIL, which accounts for 80 nper cent of country's coal production, has been missing its production target for several years. In the 2013-14, CIL produced 262 million tonnes (MT) as against target of 282 Mts. CIL's annual production is way short of country's need. India had to import as much as 152 MTs of coal in 2013, registering an year-on-year increase of over 20 per cent. Planning Commission estimate that the coal imports could go up to 185 MT at the end of the 12th Plan based on total coal demand of 980 MT and domestic supply of 795 MT.