Lok Sabha Question No. 159 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: Coal Mining
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*159 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2022

## Coal Mining

## †*159. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to increase the domestic production of coal and to reduce the import of coal;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the coal mines which have been closed during the last three years and the mines which are likely to be closed after the completion of the extraction work during the current year and the next three years; and
- (d) whether the Government has taken any steps to find new areas for mining and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES

(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question no. 159 for answer on 27.07.2022 asked by Shri Ajay Nishad:

(a)  &  (b): The  following  steps  have  been  taken  to  boost  coal  production  and  to  reduce import of Coal in the country.

A The following steps have been taken to boost coal production:

- i.  Enactment of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021: The Act provides that captive mines owners (other than atomic minerals) may sell up to 50% of  their  annual  mineral  (including  coal)  production  in  the  open  market  after  meeting  the requirement of the end use plant linked with the mine in such manner as may be prescribed by  the  Central  Government  and  on  payment  of  such  additional  amount.  This  step  is  an attempt to stimulate the coal block allocattees to enhance coal production.

ii. Commercial auction of coal blocks on revenue sharing basis.

iii. Regular Monitoring: A Monitoring Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship  of  Secretary  (Coal)  with  Chief  Secretaries  from  respective  Host  States, Secretary (MoEF & CC), Coal Controller Organization (CCO) & CMPDIL as members of the Committee to conduct regular reviews and to expedite the development of blocks.

iv.  Single  Window  Clearance:  The  Union  government  has  launched  Single  Window Clearance portal on 11.01.2021 for the coal sector to speed up the operationalisation of coal mines.

- v. Coal India Limited (CIL) contributing more than 80% of the indigenous production/supply has envisaged a plan to enhance its production to reach the level of one Billion Tonne (BT) coal by the year 2024-25 from its current production level of about 600 MT in order to meet the demand of coal indigenously and to eliminate non-essential import of coal in the country. CIL  has  already  identified all resources  required  and  its related issues/enablers like requirement  of  EC/FC,  land  acquisition,  evacuation  constraints  etc.  to  achieve  one  BT production plan with.

B The following steps has been taken to reduce the import of coal:

i. The Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) of power plants has been increased upto 100% of the  normative  requirement,in  the  cases  where  the  ACQ  was  limited  to  90%  of  normative requirement (non-coastal) or where the ACQ was limited to 70% of normative requirement (coastal power plants). The increase in ACQ would ensure supply of more domestic coal to the power plants.

ii.  An Inter - Ministerial Committee (IMC) has been constituted in the Ministry of Coal for the purpose of coal import substitution. The representatives from Ministry of Power, Ministry of  Railways,  Ministry  of  Shipping,  Ministry  of  Commerce,  Ministry  of  Steel,  Ministry  of Micro,  Small  &  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME),  Department  for  Promotion  of  Industry  & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Coal Companies and Ports are members of this IMC. This Committee provides a platform for discussions on a larger forum with the Administrative Ministries so as to guide them to encourage the coal consumers of their respective sector to eliminate imports of coal. On the directions of the IMC, an Import Data  System  has  been  developed  by  Ministry  of  Coal  to  enable  the  Ministry  to  track  the imports of coal.

iii. In addition to the above, other measures like Introduction of Irrevocable Revolving Letter of  Credit  (IRLC)/Usance  LC   in  payment  mechanism,  flexibility  for  change  of  mode  from Rail to Road etc. are taken for augmenting domestic supplies.

(c): Details of Mines of Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) closed/abandoned/discontinued during the last three years and likely to be closed in current /next three years is given in the table below:

| Company name   |   Number of mines Closed/abandoned/discontin ued during the last three years |   Number of mines likely to be closed after the completion of the extraction work during the current year and the next three years |
|----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| CIL            |                                                                           28 |                                                                                                                                 28 |
| SCCL           |                                                                           10 |                                                                                                                                 11 |

(d): Yes  Sir,  finding  new  areas  for  mining  coal  and  lignite  through  exploration is  a continuous  process.  In  the  FY  2021-22  CMPDI  has  identified  19  coal  blocks  (Excluding NER) and 12 Blocks in North East region for exploration of coal in the new areas. The details of the identified blocks for regional exploration are as under:

| Sl.No.                                              | State                                               | Coalfield                                           | Block                                               | Area (Sq km)                                        |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| I Coal EX- NER (Drilling with 2D/3D Seismic survey) | I Coal EX- NER (Drilling with 2D/3D Seismic survey) | I Coal EX- NER (Drilling with 2D/3D Seismic survey) | I Coal EX- NER (Drilling with 2D/3D Seismic survey) | I Coal EX- NER (Drilling with 2D/3D Seismic survey) |
| 1                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Mand Raigarh                                        | Barra                                               | 24.00                                               |
| 2                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Mand Raigarh                                        | Charbhata East                                      | 54.00                                               |
| 3                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Tatapani Ramkola                                    | West of Bagra                                       | 26.00                                               |
| 4                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Tatapani Ramkola                                    | Reonti Extn                                         | 14.00                                               |
| 5                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Tatapani Ramkola                                    | Ira Valley East Block                               | 63.00                                               |
| 6                                                   | Chattisgarh                                         | Tatapani Ramkola                                    | Ira Valley West Block                               | 64.00                                               |
| 7                                                   | MP                                                  | Sohagpur                                            | Mahai                                               | 43.00                                               |
| 8                                                   | MP                                                  | Singrauli                                           | Thanatola                                           | 37.00                                               |
| 9                                                   | Odisha                                              | Talcher                                             | Jadunathpur North                                   | 12.50                                               |
| 10                                                  | Odisha                                              | Talcher                                             | Saradhapur-Jalatap                                  | 26.64                                               |
| 11                                                  | Odisha                                              | IB valley                                           | Area between Hemagiri- Meenakshi Extn (Ustali)      | 27.20                                               |
| 12                                                  | Odisha                                              | Ib Valley                                           | Tangardihi                                          | 19.45                                               |
| 13                                                  | MP                                                  | Sohagpur                                            | Shahpur (Senduri)                                   | 22.80                                               |
| 14                                                  | MP                                                  | Sohagpur                                            | Nigwani Bakeli A                                    | 21.65                                               |
| 15                                                  | Chattisgarh                                         | Mand Raigarh                                        | Kartala                                             | 36.00                                               |
| 16                                                  | Chattisgarh                                         | Mand Raigarh                                        | Taulipali                                           | 37.30                                               |
| 17                                                  | Chattisgarh                                         | Mand Raigarh                                        | Rajadahi                                            | 40.30                                               |
| 18                                                  | Chattisgarh                                         | Hasdeo Arand                                        | Puta Parogia                                        | 55.75                                               |
| 19                                                  | Jharkhand                                           | Rajmahal                                            | Rajgaon                                             | 51.80                                               |

|   II Coal NER | II Coal NER      | II Coal NER            | II Coal NER                                                   |   II Coal NER |
|---------------|------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
|             1 | Nagaland         | Mokokchung District    | Mogchen Dubia                                                 |          7.6  |
|             2 | Nagaland         | Mokokchung District    | Tuli- Yimchenkimong                                           |         30.56 |
|             3 | Assam            | Karbi Anglong District | Klurdung, Sarpo Teron Gaon &Lal Dera Nepali Basti/Kheleriahat |         20    |
|             4 | Assam            | Singrimari             | Phatapara                                                     |         10    |
|             5 | Assam            | Mikir Hills            | Dithor/Garampani/Khonongma                                    |         57.7  |
|             6 | Arunchal Pradesh | Namchik- Namphuk       | Miaobum                                                       |          5    |
|             7 | Arunchal Pradesh | Namchik- Namphuk       | Khamdu I &II                                                  |          5    |
|             8 | Arunchal Pradesh | Namchik- Namphuk       | Naitong                                                       |          5    |
|             9 | Arunchal Pradesh | Namchik- Namphuk       | Thalat                                                        |          5    |
|            10 | Mizoram          | Mizoram                | Lusaicheera (Thinglum)                                        |         33    |
|            11 | Mizoram          | Mizoram                | West of Rotlang                                               |         10    |
|            12 | Meghalya         | Meghalya               | Umthengkutkut/Damal Asim Dadangiri/Kahaliehriat-Sutanga       |         12    |

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