Govt to launch portal to ease procedure to lift coal

Seeking to address the issue of a fall in lifting of coal by medium and small scale industries, Government is planning to launch a web portal on which consumers can place their requirements and get the supply by self-certification.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said the government has assessed the reasons for the fall, which include lack of sensitivity for small consumer and elaborate paper work.
"This time we have held thorough discussion with consumer organisations and state governments and after talking to all, we are very soon going to place a new proposal under which all information about state agencies will be put on a web portal. Consumers can place their requirement on the portal and on the basis of self certification, they will get the coal at price including nominated prices added by freight and 5 per cent service charge," Goyal said.

The Minister said this will not only enhance transparency but also establish control over state agencies not carrying out coal distribution properly.
"There will be a check on any wrong-doing by them due to the entire information being in public domain," Goyal said.
Medium and small scale industries whose requirement is less than 4200 tonnes per annum are required to take coal through agencies nominated by state governments.

Under the new Coal Distribution Policy (NCDP 2007), the scope of coverage through state agencies was increased from 500 tonnes per annum to 4200 tonnes per annum. At present, there is no proposal to review and revise NCDP 2007 for supply of coal to small and medium industries, he said.

An aggregate of eight million tonne of coal is earmarked per annum for distribution to medium and small scale industries. The earmarked quantity is divided amongst various states/union territories depending on their past trend.
Giving figures of the gap between the applications for coal supply and their actual lifting, Goyal said "the main reasons are that sensitivity that should have been there for the small consumers was not there, and very elaborate paper work is required. We are now making it much easier in the new portal.