Quality check: CIL empanels additional 3rd-party agencies

With quality determination of fossil fuels posing as a challenge to the government, the state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) has roped in additional third-party agencies to do the job.

"CEA (Central Electricity Authority) has recommended empanelment of additional third-party sampling agencies in pursuance to which... Agencies are being empanelled in addition to the existing third-party agencies," Coal India said in a letter.

The agencies are Allied (India), Shree Coal Research LLP, Mitra SK Pvt Ltd, R V Briggs & Company Pvt Ltd, CIL said.

Coal Secretary Anil Swarup had earlier termed the quality of coal as "an area of concern".

Last month, the government had announced its plan to bring in a new regime for sampling and testing of the dry fuel from January 1 to ensure supplying quality coal to consumers.

The move is aimed at putting an end to controversies like the one between NTPC and the coal behemoth on the quality front.

"The new regime for sampling and testing of coal is to become operational from 1st January, 2016," Swarup had said.

"Testing of quality will ensure the customer pays for the quality that is determined independently... Coal will also be crushed before supply from January 1."

Samples for coal quality analysis will be collected by select agencies as per BIS norms, the Secretary had tweeted, adding that "results will be available within 18 days".

CIL, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the domestic dry fuel production, supplies coal to power and other utilities.