Committee to formulate policy on coal rejects to meet next wk

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), set up to formulate a policy on coal rejects from washeries, is likely to meet next week.
"The meeting of the IMC to formulate a policy on coal rejects allocation for washery rejects based power plants will be held on October 8," according to an official document.
"Representatives of the ministries/department concerned are requested to make it convenient to attend the meeting," it added.
The government is mulling framing a policy on coal rejects amid country's more than half of power plants facing critical fuel shortages.
The inter-ministerial committee, under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary, Coal, had met for the first time last year in this regard.

The committee which has representatives from various ministries, including power, will "assess the actual rejects generated from Coal India (CIL) washeries and formulate suitable guidelines for supply of rejects on long-term basis from CIL washeries".
Coal quality is enhanced by washing. "In accordance with the decision taken at the meeting of the Standing Linkage Committee (Long Term) for power...It has been decided to formulate a policy for allocation of coal/washery rejects generation by CIL for washery rejects based power plants," the Coal Ministry document had earlier said.
The development comes in the backdrop of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data stating that 53 thermal power stations across the country have critical coal stock of less than a week.