Lok Sabha Question No. 3728 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-08
Subject: Theft and Blackmarketing of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: VISHNU DAYAL RAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3728 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2016

## THEFT AND BLACKMARKETING OF COAL

## 3728.   SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  incidents  of  theft  and  blackmarketing  of  coal  have  been  reported  in  the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of such incidents reported during each of the last three years and the current year and  loss of coal and revenue as a result thereof, company and State-wise; and
- (c) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  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)to(c):Theft/pilferage  of  coal,  if  any,  is  carried  out  stealthily  and  clandestinely.    Few complaints on black marketing/diversion of coal have been reported from North Eastern Coalfields,  Eastern  Coalfields  Limited,  Western  Coalfields  Limited,  Central  Coalfields Limited, etc.    Complaints  are  investigated  and  appropriate  action  including  lodging  of FIRs,  referring  cases  to  Central  Bureau  of  Investigation  for  further  investigation, discontinuation of coal supply to the units/companies involved in such illegal activities, systematic  measures  for  improvement  of  monitoring/verification  of  the  units  receiving coal under Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) etc., are taken.

As per the New Coal Distribution Policy, CIL is required to verify status of erstwhile linked consumers to check the veracity of their  claim of being bonafide consumers of coal  and  thereafter  conclude  FSA.    In  December,  2012,  the  Board  of  CIL  has  already prescribed modality for submission of certificate of end use by FSA holders duly signed by Chartered Accountants.

However, when any incident of theft/pilferage of coal  comes to the notice of the coal companies,  First  Information  Reports  (FIRs)  are  lodged  and  action  taken  against  the guilty. As such it is not possible to specify the exact quantum of coal stolen and loss of revenue  incurred  on  account  of  theft/pilferage  of  coal.  As  per  raids  conducted  by  the security personnel as well as joint raids with the law & order authorities of the concerned State Governments, the quantity of coal recovered and its approximate value  as reported by  Coal  India  Limited(CIL)  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  (upto September,  2016)(provisional),  year-wise,  company-wise  and  State-wise,  is  given  as under :

| Name of the Compa               | State              | 2013-14              | 2013-14                      | 2014-15              | 2014-15                    | 2015-16              | 2015-16                    | 2016-17 (upto September, 2016) (Provisional)   | 2016-17 (upto September, 2016) (Provisional)   |
|---------------------------------|--------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|----------------------|----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| ny                              |                    | Qty. recovere d (te) | Appro x. value (Rs. in Lakh) | Qty. recovere d (te) | Approx value (Rs. in Lakh) | Qty. recovere d (te) | Approx value (Rs. in Lakh) | Qty. recovere d (te)                           | Approx value (Rs. in Lakh)                     |
| Eastern Coalfiel                | West Bengal        | 1801.00              | 36.02                        | 2229.60              | 44.64                      | 4993.27              | 249.67                     | 3733.01                                        | 186.66                                         |
| ds Ltd (ECL)                    | Jharkha nd         | 2068.00              | 41.36                        | 2188.72              | 43.79                      | 2645.78              | 132.32                     | 1835.23                                        | 91.77                                          |
| Bharat Coking                   | Jharkha nd         | 12212.86             | 497.60                       | 13812.17             | 585.04                     | 12071.40             | 529.67                     | 6340.51                                        | 273.89                                         |
| Coal Ltd (BCCL)                 | West Bengal        | 39.51                | 1.66                         | 179.46               | 7.54                       | 445.84               | 20.54                      | 285.67                                         | 12.09                                          |
| Central Coalfiel ds Ltd (CCL)   | Jharkha nd         | 352.40               | 8.22                         | 940.00               | 24.37                      | 99.00                | 1.05                       | 0.00                                           | 0.00                                           |
| Western Coalfiel                | Maharas htra       | 61.81                | 0.94                         | 133.36               | 2.79                       | 53.00                | 1.12                       | 106.80                                         | 2.22                                           |
| ds Ltd (WCL)                    | Madhya Pradesh     | 0.00                 | 0.00                         | 0.00                 | 0.00                       | 0.00                 | 0.00                       | 0.00                                           | 0.00                                           |
| South Eastern                   | Madhya Pradesh     | 21.01                | 1.02                         | 49.53                | 1.95                       | 0.00                 | 0.00                       | 0.00                                           | 0.00                                           |
| Coalfiel ds Ltd (SECL)          | Chhattis garh      | 39.00                | 1.06                         | 3.00                 | 0.12                       | 57.50                | 2.11                       | 25.00                                          | 1.50                                           |
| Mahana di Coalfiel ds Ltd(MC L) | Odisha             | 33.23                | 0.33                         | 74.30                | 0.72                       | 63.10                | 0.63                       | 44.10                                          | 0.24                                           |
| North Eastern Coalfiel d (NEC)  | Assam              | 212.00               | 11.62                        | 13.03                | 0.62                       | 0.00                 | 0.00                       | 0.00                                           | 0.000                                          |
| Coal India Limited              | Coal India Limited | 16840.82             | 599.83                       | 19623.17             | 711.58                     | 20428.89             | 937.11                     | 12370.32                                       | 568.37                                         |

Further,  Law  &  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 of coal.  Measures taken by the coal companies to check theft/pilferage of coal include:

- i) Check posts have been established at entry/exit points where all coal loaded vehicles are physically checked.
2. ii) Technology  initiatives  like  Global  Positioning  System(GPS)/  General  Packet  Radio Service(GPRS)/ Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) and electronic weigh-bridges have been installed to check the problem of theft/pilferage at mines, sidings and transportation.
3. iii) Security at coal dumps has been improved by wall fencing, proper illumination and round the clock guarding.
4. iv) Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
- v) Regular raids/checks are being conducted by security personnel and static security pickets including armed guards during the night hours are deployed at pithead depots.
6. vi) Surprise  raids/checks  being  conducted  jointly  by  security  personnel  and  law  &  order authorities of the State Government concerned.
7. vii) Collection of intelligence reports about illegal coal depots and illegal movement of coal and informing district authorities of the same for taking preventive action.

viii) Installation of check posts at vulnerable points to check transport documents.

- ix) Maintaining close coordination with the State/local authorities.
- x) Regular patrolling is conducted in and around the mine including overburden dumps.
- xi) Armed guards have been deployed at Railway sidings.
- xii) 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.
- xiii) 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 kept by CISF.
- xiv) Escorting of coal rakes in coordination with RPF in pilferage prone areas, etc.

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