Govt assures dependable coal supply to cement industry

The government today assured the cement industry of a more stable supply of coal to the sector, which at present is getting only 50 per cent of its requirement through domestic source. 

Addressing the annual session of Cement Manufacturers' Association, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia pointed out that industry consumes close to 29 million tonne of coal out of which only 14.6 million tonne is available from coal linkages.

"There is fair and much deserved need to augment the coal linkages supply from the present 50 per cent level of requirement to the earlier level of 80 per cent," he said.

"I understand the cement industry has been allocated coal blocks and it will be the endeavour of our government to facilitate early operation of these coal blocks to ensure that fuel supply becomes more predictably and more stable," he said.

The minister was responding to industry's demand that it should be supplied adequate quantity of coal.

"We request that the cement industry be supplied its fuel requirements in full...To enable them to meet the increasing cement demand of the country," CMA President H M Bangur said, adding that industry currently meets its requirement through imports, use of pet coke and alternative fuels.