Lok Sabha Question No. 492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Empanelment of TPA
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Prataprao  Jadhav, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Sudheer Gupta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.492 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2023

## Empanelment of TPA

## 492.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK: SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV: SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has empanelled the third party testing agencies (TPA) for collection, preparation, analysis and documentation of coal samples at different coal loading points in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for creating such an empanelment;
- (c)  whether the Government has extended the date of submitting the Request For Qualification (RFQ) for empanelment of TPA and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the manner in which the empanelment of TPA is going to bring transparency in determining coal quality and will ultimately affect consumers of Coal India Limited;
- (e) whether the Government has identified the agencies empanelled under TPA and if so, the names of such agencies and if not, the time by which it is likely to be done; and
- (f)  the  other  measures  taken/being  taken  by  the  coal  companies  to  achieve  the objective of supplying quality coal to all consumers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES

## (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a) & (b): Yes, the Government has empanelled third party testing agencies (TPA) for collection, preparation, analysis and documentation of coal samples at different coal loading points in the country. Highest importance is accorded by the Government on the issue of quality of coal supplied by the coal companies. To address the concerns of the consumers regarding coal quality, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Third-Party Sampling & Analysis of coal at loading end was issued by Ministry of Coal (MOC) on 26.11.2015. Subsequently, as a part of reform process and with a view to expand  the  base  of  Third-Party  Sampling,  more  Third-Party  Sampling  Agencies (TPSAs) are being engaged for quality sampling of coal.

(c): Request  for  Qualification  (RFQ)  for  empanelment  of  agencies  for  collection, preparation,  analysis,  and  documentation  has  been  floated  by  Coal  Controller Organisation (CCO), a subordinate organisation of Ministry of Coal, on 29.09.2023.

The date was extended for submitting  the RFQ  for  empanelment  of TPSAs  up  to 30.11.2023 as during the pre-bid meeting some of the agencies had raised queries in respect of scope of work and eligibility criteria.

(d): Due to inherent heterogeneous characteristics of Indian coal and during winning of coal in the actual mining process in coal seams, the grade (GCV) of dispatched coal may vary from consignment to consignment to certain extent compared to declared grade, which is later adjusted with the finally accepted GCV (analyzed by the Third Party Sampling Agencies / referee labs, as applicable) as per extant provisions of Fuel Supply Agreements & Tripartite Agreements signed between the seller & purchaser and TPSA, opted by the respective consumer (s).

The Third Party Sampling process involves collection of samples at loading end of the coal  producers  as  per  relevant  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)/  International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA).

Subsequently, the testing and analysis of prepared samples is carried out at NABL accredited laboratories or other coal testing laboratories in India accredited against International  Organization  for  Standardization  (ISO)/  International  Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17025 by other equivalent accreditation agency (which is a full member  of  International  Laboratory  Accreditation  Cooperation  (ILAC)  and/or  Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC)). The above process of sampling and testing is followed to ensure transparency in the testing procedure.

(e): Earlier, CIL had empanelled two TPSAs for sampling of coal at loading end i.e. M/s Cotecna inspection India Private Limited and M/s SGS India Private Limited. At present M/s. SGS is carrying out sampling activity.

In addition, Power finance corporation limited (PFCL) under Ministry of Power has also conducted two rounds for empanelment of TPSAs for collection, preparation, analysis of coal samples at different coal loading points across the coal companies. In the 1st round, PFCL had empanelled M/s Mitra SK Private Limited as TPSA. In the 2nd round, the following 10 TPSAs have been empanelled: -

(i) Inspectorate Griffith India Pvt Ltd;  (ii) Quality Services and Solutions Pvt Ltd; (iii) Quality Austria Central Asia Pvt Ltd; (iv) Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd;  (v)KCS Quality Inspection Pvt Ltd.;  (vi) Ravi Energie Pvt Ltd;  (vii) Mitra S. K. Pvt Ltd;  (viii) Superintendence Company of India Pvt Ltd;   (ix) Therapeutics Chemical Research Corporation and; (x) Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt Ltd.

Besides the above, it has also been decided that the Government Agencies which have  been  carrying  out  the  Third-Party  Sampling  assignment  on  the  basis  of nomination  by  Ministry  of  Power  /  MoC  /  CIL  may  also  continue  at  the  market discovered  price  as  emerged  in  the  PFCL  2nd  round  tender  and  mutually  agreed between the seller and consumer.

(f): The steps being taken by the coal Companies to achieve the objective of supplying quality coal to all consumers are as under:

- i. For  enhanced  customer  satisfaction,  special  emphasis  has  been  given to Quality Management of coal from mine to dispatch point. All the consumers are covered under third party sampling for quality assessment of the supplies.
- ii. Adoption  of  blast  free  mining  techniques:  Increasing  the  extraction  of  coal through surface miners in opencast mines entail blast free selective mining
3. leading to better quality and consistent sized coal output. iii. Appointment for third party agencies for quality assessment. iv. Installation of more Auto Mechanical Samplers (AMS) wherever applicable and feasible for avoiding human intervention in the sampling process. v. Adoption of mechanical coal handling from mines to the loading points in the First Mile connectivity projects. vi. Necessary  arrangement  of  segregation  of  extraneous  materials  like  shale, stone at belts has been made.
- vii. Installation of mobile crusher/feeder breaker for assuring crushed coal supply to power sectors of less than 100mm size wherever feasible.

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