States restart imports of coal after domestic supply fails to meet demand

Elections, rising power demand derail 'zero coal import' plan

The central government’s plan to completely rely on Coal India for domestic needs and have zero imports has faltered with states putting out tenders for importing coal. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat along with NTPC and private units in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have issued tenders totalling 12.5 million tonne.

In 2017, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India does not need any imported coal and instructed states and NTPC to stop imports. Subsequent to that, several power access schemes and a weaning effect of demonetisation and implementation of goods and services tax (GST) saw power demand shooting up. Domestic coal