Lok Sabha Question No. 3790 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Illegal Activity by Coal Producing Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3790 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2019

## Illegal Activity by Coal Producing Mines

## 3790.   SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  coal  producing  mines  of  India  which  indulged  in  theft,  black  marketing, illegal mining etc.;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  investigation  relating  to  theft,  black marketing, illegal mining of coal;
- (c) if so, the outcome thereof and the action taken against the guilty persons, year, State and company-wise; and
- (d) the quantum of coal in tonnes seized by the crime branch so far and the State-wise details of such coal mines?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a)  to  (d)  : Theft  /  pilferage  of  coal  are  carried  out  stealthily  and  clandestinely.  Illegal mining  of  coal  is  reported  to  be  carried  out  mainly  from  abandoned  mines,  shallow  coal seams situated at remote/isolated places from the mines and are scattered over a large area. As  suchit  is  difficult  to  assess  and  specify  the  exact  quantum  of  coal  stolen  and  losses incurred  on  account  of  theft/pilferage.  Further,  this is  a  Law  &  Order  problem  which  is  a State subject, hence primarily; falls under the domain of the State/District administration to take necessary deterrent action to stop/curb illegal mining of coal.

However, as per raids conducted by security personnel as well as joint raids with the law and order authorities of the concerned State Government, the quantity of coal recovered, its approximate value and FIR lodged during 2018-19, company-wise and State-wise is given below:

## Theft/Pilferage of coal subsidiary-wise and state-wise (Provisional):

| CIL's subsidiaries   | State       |   Qty. Recovered |   (te)Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)FIR |   LODGED |
|----------------------|-------------|------------------|-----------------------------------|----------|
| ECL                  | WB          |         11063.4  |                           562.817 |      224 |
|                      | Jharkhand   |          4885.23 |                           248.817 |      135 |
|                      | Total ECL   |         15948.6  |                           811.634 |      359 |
| BCCL                 | Jharkhand   |          5030.29 |                           214.84  |       23 |
|                      | WB          |           682.05 |                            24.992 |        7 |
|                      | Total BCCL  |          5712.34 |                           239.833 |       30 |
| CCL                  | Jharkhand   |           595.51 |                            12.753 |       34 |
| NCL                  | MP/UP       |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | UP          |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total NCL   |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| WCL                  | Maharashtra |           261.05 |                             7.595 |       15 |
|                      | MP          |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total WCL   |           261.05 |                             7.595 |       15 |

| SECL   | MP          |     0.50 |    0.015 |   1 |
|--------|-------------|----------|----------|-----|
|        | Chattisgarh |     9.3  |    0.38  |   2 |
|        | Total SECL  |     9.8  |    0.395 |   3 |
| MCL    | Orissa      |   257.22 |    4.572 |   9 |
| NEC    | Assam       |     0    |    0     |  21 |
| Total  | Total       | 22784.5  | 1076.78  | 471 |

## Illegal Mining of coal subsidiary-wise and state-wise (Provisional):

| CIL's subsidiaries   | State            |   Qty. Recovered |   (te)Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)FIR |   LODGED |
|----------------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------|----------|
| ECL                  | WB               |          1280.18 |                            67.368 |      184 |
|                      | Jharkhand        |           171.45 |                             8.56  |       64 |
|                      | Total ECL        |          1451.63 |                            75.928 |      248 |
| BCCL                 | Jharkhand        |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | WB               |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total BCCL       |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| CCL                  | Jharkhand        |             0    |                             0     |        7 |
| NCL                  | MP               |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | UP               |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total NCL        |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| WCL                  | Maharashtra      |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | MP               |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total WCL        |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| SECL                 | MP               |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Chattisgarh      |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
|                      | Total SECL       |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| MCL                  | Orissa           |             0    |                             0     |        0 |
| NEC                  | Assam            |             0    |                             0     |        8 |
| Total Coal India     | Total Coal India |          1451.63 |                            75.928 |      263 |

The following steps taken to check incidents of theft/pilferage and illegal mining Theft / pilferage of coal:

-  RFID based Boom Barriers and CCTV cameras are installed at weighbridges, GPRS based  vehicle  tracking  system  with  geofencing  and  ,  CCTV  camera  at  strategic locations of CIL coal mines have been installed.
-  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.
-  Escorting  of  coal  rakes  in  coordination  with  RPF  upto  weighbridge,  is  arranged  in pilferage prone areas.
-  Check posts have been established at entry / exit points where  coal laden vehicles are physically checked.

## Illegal mining of coal:

-  Concrete  walls  have  been  erected  on  the  mouth  of  the  abandoned  coal  mines  to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
-  Installation of check-posts at vulnerable points.
-  Committee/task  force  has  been  constituted  at  different  level  (block  level,  subdivisional  level,  district  level,  state  level)  in  some  subsidiaries  of  CIL  to  monitor different aspects of illegal mining.

The Government of India has launched one mobile app namely 'Khanan Prahari' and one web  app  Coal  Mine  Surveillance  and  Management  System  (CMSMS)  for  reporting unauthorized coal mining activities so that monitoring and taking suitable action on it can be done by Law & Order authority.

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