Monday, August 29, 2011


Evacuation Facilities for Coal Production

The subsidiary companies of Coal India Limited (CIL) were having pithead stocks of about 69.17 Million Tonnes, as on 1.4.2011. After maintenance of some stock by the coal companies to ensure coal availability in force majeure situations, the remaining stock could have been supplied to consumers including private power developers. CIL has reported that the major reasons for the accumulation of pithead stocks were the frequent law and order problems in Jharkhand and Odisha, constraints in transportation of coal from the pitheads to railway sidings and the lesser availability of railway rakes during the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2010-11.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Coal, Shri Pratik Prakshbapu Patil in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

The Minister said, while the all India coal production during 2010-11 was 533.076 Million Tonnes, the total despatches and the closing stock were 523.247 Million Tonnes and 71.468 Million Tonnes respectively.

The Minister of Coal vide his letter dated 1.6.2011 has written to Chairman, CIL as well as CMDs of CIL subsidiaries to liquidate the pithead stocks to the maximum extent and to personally monitor the situation. The concerned State Governments have been requested to improve the law and order situation to improve the evacuation of coal.

CIL organized a Rail-Coal interface meeting between the coal companies and the Railways on 30.5.2011 to plan smooth evacuation of coal. An inter-ministerial sub-group under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal also meets regularly to take stock of the coal stock position at power plants and inter-alia, suggests measures for liquidation of stocks.

As a result, the subsidiary coal companies of CIL have been able to liquidate 17.74 Million Tonnes of their pithead stocks during 1.4.2011 to 15.8.2011.

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