One must be able to get coal from various sources with ease: Pralhad Joshi

"There is a shortfall and that's why we have opened up the sector. About the SHAKTI Policy… my predecessor Piyush Goyal has done well. But why are all these policies needed?", says Pralhad Joshi

Days after the government eased the entry of domestic and foreign players in the coal mining sector, the Union Minister for Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, said he wants an open market with no policy restrictions. Joshi, in his first interview since taking charge, tells Shreya Jai that state-owned Coal India would remain the primary player in the mining space. Edited excerpts:

What was the motive behind opening up the coal sector now?

We thought this is the best time to do it (coal reforms). Till 2015, it was a different era, and since then we have streamlined