Lok Sabha Question No. 2503 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-16
Subject: Pilferage of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: GOWDAR MALLIKARJUNAPPA SIDDESHWARA, SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2503

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2017

## PILFERAGE OF COAL

## 2503.   SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWARA: SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH: SHRI LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the cases of pilferage of coal has increased in the coal mines of the country;
- (b) if so, the number of such cases reported during each of the last three years and the current year company and State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any investigation in these cases; and
- (d) if  so,  the  outcome  thereof  and  the  action  taken  against  the  guilty  officers  during  the  said period.  Company-wise, along with the steps taken to check such activities in future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL, POWER, NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MINES.

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a  &  b):  Theft/pilferage  of  coal,  if  any,  is  carried  out  stealthily  and  clandestinely.        Complaints received  on  theft/pilferage  of  coal  are  of  general  in  nature  and  the  same  are  investigated  for appropriate  action.    First  Information  Reports  (FIRs)  are  lodged  whenever  any  incident  of theft/pilferage of coal comes to the notice of the coal companies.

As per information received from Coal India Ltd. (CIL), FIRs lodged in cases of theft/pilferage of coal during the last three years and current year(upto December, 2016), company-wise and State-wise is given below:

| Name of the Company                | State              |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 (upto December 2016). |
|------------------------------------|--------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL)       | West Bengal        |        05 |        27 |       116 |                             207 |
| Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL)       | Jharkhand          |        03 |        02 |        18 |                              19 |
| Bharat Coking Coal Ltd(BCCL)       | Jharkhand          |        12 |        09 |        09 |                              07 |
| Central Coalfields Ltd(CCL)        | Jharkhand          |        05 |        11 |        03 |                              00 |
| Western Coalfields Ltd(WCL)        | Maharashtra        |        09 |        13 |        06 |                              11 |
| Western Coalfields Ltd(WCL)        | Madhya Pradesh     |        00 |        00 |        00 |                              01 |
| South Eastern Coalfields Ltd(SECL) | Madhya Pradesh     |        02 |        02 |        00 |                              00 |
| South Eastern Coalfields Ltd(SECL) | Chattisgarh        |        02 |        01 |        06 |                              01 |
| Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd(MCL)       | Odisha             |        02 |        04 |        00 |                              01 |
| North Eastern Coalfield (NEC)      | Assam              |        48 |        66 |        35 |                              24 |
| Coal India Limited                 | Coal India Limited |        88 |       135 |       193 |                             271 |

- (c)&(d)    Law and Order is a State subject and hence, primarily, it is the responsibility of State/District Administration to take deterrent action to stop/curb theft/pilferage of coal. The coal companies are working in close coordination with the State/local Administration to prevent theft/pilferage of coal.  Further, whenever any incident of theft/pilferage of coal comes to the notice of the coal companies, First Information Reports (FIRs) are lodged and action is taken against the guilty. No officer has been found to be involved in the pilferage of coal.

Various  measures  taken  by  the  coal  companies  to  check  such  theft/pilferage  of  coal  in include:

- i) Check posts which have been established at entry / exit points along with CCTVs where all coal laden vehicles are physically checked.
2. ii) Security at coal dumps have been improved by wall fencing, proper illumination and  round the clock guarding.
3. iii) Regular patrolling is conducted in and around the mine including OB dumps.
4. iv) Armed Guards have been deployed at Railway sidings.
- v) Joint patrolling with local police is also being carried out in pilferage prone areas.
6. vi) Surprise checks / raids are conducted by flying squads of CISF/security department.
7. vii) Security  squads  have  been  introduced  to  check  transportation  of  coal  en  route  to  Railway Siding.
8. viii) Surprise re-weighment of coal laden trucks is done, at weighbridges.
9. ix) Escorting of coal rakes in coordination with RPF up to weighbridge, is arranged in pilferage prone areas.
- x) Challans for coal transportation by trucks outside the district are being issued after fixing hologram and putting signatures of authorized officials of CISF to check pilferage.
11. xi) Regular FIRs are lodged by the Management of the collieries and CISF with local Police Stations  against the pilferage/theft of coal. A close watch on the activities of criminals is being maintained by CISF.
12. xii) Inter-action and liaison with District officials is carried out at regular intervals and meeting are held with DC & District Administration.
13. xiii) The E-surveillance programme through use of Information Technology is being implemented and  initiatives like Global Positioning System(GPS)/ General Packet Radio Service(GPRS)/  Closed  Circuit  Televisions  (CCTVs),  Vehicle  Tracking  Systems  and electronic  weigh-bridges  have  been  installed  to  check  the  problem  of  theft/pilferage  at mines, sidings and transportation.

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