Lok Sabha Question No. 786 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-26
Subject: Shortage of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Ramya  Haridas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.786 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.06.2019

Shortage of Coal

## 786. SHRIMATI RAMYA HARIDAS:

## Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- a) whether there is acute shortage of coal in the country;
- b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  efforts  being  made  to  increase  coal production in the country by opening new mines;
- c) the time by which the demand- supply mismatch of coal would be over;
- d)  whether  the  Ministry  is  giving  priority  to  supplying  of  coal  to  thermal power stations in view of their critical requirements; and
- e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES

## (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): The all  India  raw  coal  production has increased  from 565.77  Million Tonnes  (MT)  in  2013-14  to  730.35  MT  (Provisional)  in  2018-19.  This   is absolute  increase of  164.58  MT  in  coal  production  in  this  period  as compared to the increase of 73.01 MT between 2008-09 and 2013-14. As on 19.06.2019, the vendible coal stock with Coal India Limited (CIL) was 39.36 MT.

- (b). The opening of coal mines is a continuous activity which is undertaken regularly to meet the increasing demand of coal in the economy. CIL and its subsidiaries have planned upcoming greenfield projects as under:

|   Sl. | Subsidiary   | STATE          | COAL FIELD   | PROJECT       | TYPE   |   PR CAPACITY (MTY) |
|-------|--------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|--------|---------------------|
|     1 | ECL          | JHARKHAND      | RAJMAHAL     | HURA C OCP    | OC     |                3    |
|     2 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | CIC          | KETKI         | UG     |                0.42 |
|     3 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | CIC          | JAGANNATHPUR  | OC     |                3    |
|     4 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | CIC          | MADANNAGAR    | OC     |               12    |
|     5 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | SENDURGARH   | VIJAY WEST    | OC     |                3    |
|     6 | SECL         | MADHYA PRADESH | CIC          | AMRITDHARA OC | OC     |                2    |
|     7 | SECL         | MADHYA PRADESH | CIC          | MALACHUA      | OC     |                3    |
|     8 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | KRB          | SARAIPALI     | OC     |                1.4  |
|     9 | SECL         | CHHATTISGARH   | KRB          | KARTALI EAST  | OC     |                2.5  |

| 10   | SECL   | CHHATTISGARH   | RAI       | PELMA           | OC   |     15 |
|------|--------|----------------|-----------|-----------------|------|--------|
| 11   | SECL   | CHHATTISGARH   | RAI       | BIJARI          | OC   |   1.5  |
| 12   | SECL   | CHHATTISGARH   | RAI       | DURGAPUR OC     | OC   |   6    |
| 13   | SECL   | MADHYA PRADESH | CIC       | BATURA          | OC   |   2    |
| 14   | MCL    | ORISSA         | IB VALLEY | GARJANBAHAL OCP | OC   |  10    |
| 15   | MCL    | ORISSA         | IB VALLEY | SIARMAL OCP     | OC   |  40    |
|      |        |                |           | TOTAL           |      | 104.82 |

Also,  so  far  84 coal  mines  stand  allocated  (originally 92  coal  mines  were allocated,  later  on,  coal  Mine  Development  &  Production  Agreement  / Allotment Agreement were terminated in respect of 8 coal mines) under Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. Further, directions have been issued to the Nominated Authority for allocation of 26 more coal mines.

(c) to (e): There is a gap between demand and domestic supply of coal as there  is  limited  availability  of  indigenous  coking  coal  and  there  are  power plant  that  are  designed  on  imported  coal  which  continue  to  import  coal for power generation.  For 2019-20, Ministry of Power has projected annual domestic  coal  requirement  of  530  MT  from  CIL,  54  MT  from  Singareni Collieries Company Limited and 50 MT from Captive mines. Due to enhanced  domestic  coal  supply  to  power  plants, coal  import  by  power plants has reduced from 80.71 MT in 2015-16 to 61.66 MT in 2018-19.

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