CoalMin floats another CCI note for completion of 3 rail lines

Coal Ministry has floated another note for the Cabinet Committee on Investment so as to ensure timely completion of three critical rail links for evacuating coal from the mines of state-owned CIL.

The move is aimed at helping Coal India Ltd increase its output. CIL has been drawing flak from various quarters for missing production targets.

"Regarding critical rail infrastructure projects another CCI (Cabinet Committee on Investment) note to work out detailed timelines in regard to the completion of each of these critical projects has been circulated by Ministry of Coal," said a source.

The three railways lines include Tori-Shivpur-Kathautia (Hazaribagh) BG triple line for the North Karanpura coalfield (CCL Jharkhand), and Jharsuguda-Barpalli BG double line for IB Valley coalfield (MCL, Odisha). These projects are getting delayed mainly on account of forest clearance and land acquisition issues, sources said.

They added that in respect of the railway projects, meetings have been held with Chief Secretaries of the states concerned. A meeting was also held between Coal Secretary and Jharkhand Chief Secretary, on the issue of Tori-Shivpur railway line.

However, Railways have not yet indicated timelines for the completion of the project. Specific timelines need to be furnished by the Ministry of Railways, sources said.

The CCI had considered the issue last year. During that CCI meeting it was decided that the Ministry of Railways should deploy additional manpower and other resources to ensure completion of Tori-Shivpur Kathautia Railway line by March, 2015.

"In respect of Jharsuguda-Barpalli-Sardega Railway line, the committee underlined the need for effective liaising with the government of Odisha for expeditious action on the proposals relating to land acquisition and forest clearance for the 27 km stretch and for completion of the entire line by December, 2014," a Coal Ministry source said.

"So far as Bhupdevpur-Korichnapur-Dharamjaigargh Railway line is concerned, the Ministry of Railways will finalise and indicate the specific timelines for completion of the project for information of the Committee (CCI)," the source added.

It was also decided that while the projects may continue to be monitored through the existing mechanisms, a status report on these projects be brought before CCI once in three months.

To monitor the implementation of critical railway projects, an Inter-Ministerial Committee had been constituted under the chairmanship of Chairman Railway Board with secretaries of Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Environment and Forests as members.

Three meetings of the IMC were held in 2013.