PM to be briefed soon on making urea from coal: Goyal

A presentation will be made shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi on manufacture of urea from coal, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said today.
Union Minister for Shipping and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for State for Fertilizers Hansraj Ahir and myself will make a presentation before the Prime Minister, Goyal, who is the Minister for Coal and Renewable Energy, told reporters here.
He said the idea was floated by Ahir and the Coal Ministry will take it up.
"Fertilizer plants will be set up in coal bearing areas to be identified later", he said, adding that once the concept is through, the Ministry will process the proposal.

To a question, Goyal reluctantly admitted missing the half yearly target of coal production by Coal India Limited (CIL) of 229.54 million tonnes (MT) against 235.49 MT.
He, however, said CIL has set a target of 550 MT during the current fiscal which they will achieve.

"CIL has achieved one per cent growth and produced 32 MT coal additionally. Our target is to achieve 50 MT," he said.
Goyal was all praise for CIL subsidiary, Western Coalfields Limited for sustained development and opening 10 mines in this fiscal.
They will not only achieve a target of 24 new mines in 24 months but also this year's target of 45 MT coal production, he added.

On the renewable energy scenario said, the minister said 50 per cent of the defunct gas based power plants have been re-started and all efforts are on to start the Dabhol power plant by the central and Maharashtra government.
On LED bulbs, Goyal said as on today 2.14 crore units have been sold at a minimum price of Rs 90 against the purchase price of Rs 310.
The target of selling LED for next year is 15 crore bulbs, he added.