Coal India acting swiftly to continue supplies even during lockdown: Joshi

State-ownedCoal India has taken various initiatives to continue dry fuel supply to various sectors, including power, even during the lockdown period, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday.

"Acting swiftly, @CoalIndiaHQ has taken several initiatives to continue coal supply even during the ongoing #lockdown," Joshi said in a tweet.

The measures include extending the time for coal lifting and making payments and relaxing penalty against defaulters, the minister said.

"Extending the time for coal lifting and making payments, to relaxing penalty against defaulters, coal companies are truly supporting the nation in this time of need," Joshi tweeted.

The coal minister last week had directed all the officials of the coal ministry to work harder to ensure that critical coal supplies are maintained during the lockdown period due to Covid-19 pandemic so that power and other critical sectors are unaffected due to the current situation.

The coal ministry had said that daily meetings of all senior officers of the ministry are being held for monitoring coal production, supplies and dispatch.

The first such virtual meeting took place on March 26through video conferencing by Coal SecretaryAnil Kumar Jain.

As the Coal Ministry is a fully paperless office the entire staff is working on the e-office platform from the Ministry or at home as per duty rosters, the ministry had said.

The government has imposed country-wide lockdown to contain the spread of deadly novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease.

The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,965 in the country on Thursday while the death toll rose to 50, according to the Union Health Ministry.