Lok Sabha Question No. 2206 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-10
Subject: Illegal Mining/Blackmarketing of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: SAKSHI SWAMI MAHARAJ, HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE, NEELAM SONKER, ANSHUL VERMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRYOF COAL

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2206 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2016

Illegal Mining / Blackmarketing of Coal

2206.

DR.  SWAMI  SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ: SHRI  GODSE  HEMANT TUKARAM: SHRIMATI  NEELAM SONKER: SHRI ANSHUL VERMA

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state :

- (a) whether the incidents of illegal mining, hoarding, theft and blackmarketing of coal have been reported from various coal mines in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  such  incidents  reported  during  each  of  the  three  years  and  the current  year  along with the details of loss of coal and revenue as a result thereof, mine and State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any inquiry in this regard;
- (d) if  so  ,  the  outcome thereof along with the number of persons/officers found guilty during the said period and the action taken against them; and
- (e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to check such activities in future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL, POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (d) : Theft  /  pilferage  and  illegal  mining  of  coal    is  carried  out  stealthily  and clandestinely.  As  such,  it  is  not  possible  to  specify  the  exact  quantum  of  coal  stolen  and losses  incurred on account of theft / pilferage and 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 and its approximate value, FIRs lodged during the last three years and the current year are as under:

## ILLEGAL MINING OF COAL SUBSIDIARYWISE AND STATE-WISE

| Co.   | State       | 2012-13              | 2012-13                   | 2013-14              | 2013-14                   | 2014-15              | 2014-15                   | 2015-16 (uptoDec'15) (Provisional)   | 2015-16 (uptoDec'15) (Provisional)   |
|-------|-------------|----------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|       |             | Qty. Recove red (te) | Appro x. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recovere d (te) | Appro x. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recovere d (te) | Appro x. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recovere d (te)                 | Appro x. Value (Rs. Lakh)            |
| ECL   | WB          | 0.00                 | 0.000                     | 4                    | 0.08                      | 34.75                | 0.695                     | 0.00                                 | 0.000                                |
|       | Jhar- khand | 0.00                 | 0.000                     | 0                    | 0                         | 0.00                 | 0.000                     | 0.00                                 | 0.000                                |
|       |             | 0.00                 | 0.000                     | 4                    | 0.08                      | 34.75                | 0.695                     | 0.00                                 | 0.000                                |

| BCCL       | Jhar- khand   |   883.98 |   18.067 |   1096.46 |   45.775 |   0.00 |   0.000 |   0.00 |   0.000 |
|------------|---------------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|--------|---------|--------|---------|
|            | WB            |     0    |    0     |    188.33 |    7.883 |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
|            |               |   883.98 |   18.067 |   1284.79 |   53.659 |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| CCL        | Jhar- khand   |    39    |    0.42  |      4.33 |    0.198 | 139    |   1.55  |      2 |    0.02 |
| NCL        | UP/MP         |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| WCL        | Maha- rashtra |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
|            | MP            |     0    |    0     |     12    |    0.5   |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
|            |               |     0    |    0     |     12    |    0.5   |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| SECL       | MP            |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
|            | Chattis- garh |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
|            |               |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| MCL        | Orissa        |     0    |    0     |      0    |    0     |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| NEC        | Assam         |     0    |    0     |     37.45 |    1.162 |   0    |   0     |      0 |    0    |
| Coal India | Coal India    |   922.98 |   18.487 |   1342.57 |   55.599 | 173.75 |   2.245 |      2 |    0.02 |

FIRS LODGED IN CASE OF ILLEGAL MINING OF COALSUBSIDIARYWISE AND STATE-WISE

| Co.        | State       |   2012-13 |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 (upto Dec'15) (Provisional) |
|------------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------------|
| ECL        | WB          |         0 |         3 |         2 |                                     7 |
|            | Jharkhand   |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |         0 |         3 |         2 |                                     7 |
| BCCL       | Jharkhand   |         2 |         0 |         3 |                                     4 |
|            | WB          |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |         2 |         0 |         3 |                                     4 |
| CCL        | Jharkhand   |         3 |         3 |         1 |                                     1 |
| NCL        | UP /MP      |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
| WCL        | Maharashtra |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            | MP          |         0 |         1 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |         0 |         1 |         0 |                                     0 |
| SECL       | MP          |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            | Chattisgarh |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
| MCL        | Orissa      |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
| NEC        | Assam       |        11 |        11 |         1 |                                     0 |
| Coal India | Coal India  |        16 |        18 |         7 |                                    12 |

THEFT/PILFERAGE OF COAL SUBSIDIARYWISE AND STATE-WISE

| Co.   | State      | 2012-13              | 2012-13                  | 2013-14              | 2013-14                   | 2014-15              | 2014-15                  | 2015-16 (uptoDec'15) (Provisional)   | 2015-16 (uptoDec'15) (Provisional)   |
|-------|------------|----------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|       |            | Qty. Recovere d (te) | Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recovere d (te) | Appro x. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recover ed (te) | Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh) | Qty. Recover ed (te)                 | Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)             |
| ECL   | WB         | 1944.00              | 38.860                   | 1801                 | 36.02                     | 2229.60              | 44.640                   | 2658.78                              | 132.940                              |
|       | Jharkha nd | 2104.00              | 42.080                   | 2068                 | 41.36                     | 2188.72              | 43.790                   | 1447.66                              | 72.400                               |
|       |            | 4048.00              | 80.940                   | 3869                 | 77.38                     | 4418.32              | 88.430                   | 4106.44                              | 205.340                              |
| BCCL  | Jharkha nd | 8352.58              | 181.204                  | 12212.86             | 497.6                     | 13812.17             | 585.036                  | 8851.57                              | 386.797                              |
|       | WB         | 0.00                 | 0.000                    | 39.51                | 1.659                     | 179.46               | 7.537                    | 289.80                               | 14.150                               |
|       |            | 8352.58              | 181.204                  | 12252.37             | 499.25                    | 13991.63             | 592.574                  | 9141.37                              | 400.947                              |

| CCL        | Jharkha nd   |   2333.69 |   28.618 |    352.4 |   8.215 |   940.00 |   24.370 |   73.00 |   1.050 |
|------------|--------------|-----------|----------|----------|---------|----------|----------|---------|---------|
| NCL        | MP           |      0    |    0     |     0    |   0     |     0    |    0     |     0   |   0     |
|            | UP           |      0    |    0     |     0    |   0     |     0    |    0     |     0   |   0     |
|            |              |      0    |    0     |     0    |   0     |     0    |    0     |     0   |   0     |
| WCL        | Maharas htra |    146.71 |    3.343 |    61.81 |   0.935 |   133.36 |    2.79  |    53   |   1.12  |
|            | MP           |     22.84 |    0.32  |     0    |   0     |     0    |    0     |     0   |   0     |
|            |              |    169.55 |    3.663 |    61.81 |   0.935 |   133.36 |    2.79  |    53   |   1.12  |
| SECL       | MP           |      4.4  |    0.255 |    21.01 |   1.021 |    49.53 |    1.95  |     0   |   0     |
|            | Chattisg arh |    114.92 |    2.912 |    39    |   1.058 |     3    |    0.12  |    57.5 |   2.105 |
|            |              |    119.32 |    3.166 |    60.01 |   2.079 |    52.53 |    2.07  |    57.5 |   2.105 |
| MCL        | Orissa       |     30.8  |    0.308 |    33.23 |   0.332 |    74.3  |    0.716 |    20.7 |   0.107 |
| NEC        | Assam        |    313.93 |   17.77  |   212    |  11.62  |    13.03 |    0.62  |     0   |   0     |
| Coal India |              |  15367.9  |  315.669 | 16840.8  | 599.82  | 19623.2  |  711.57  | 13452   | 610.669 |

## FIRS LODGED IN CASE OF THEFT/PILFERAGE OF COAL SUBSIDIARYWISE AND STATE-WISE

| Co.        | State       |   2012-13 |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 (upto Dec'15) (Provisional) |
|------------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------------|
| ECL        | WB          |        19 |         5 |        27 |                                    62 |
|            | Jharkhand   |         2 |         3 |         2 |                                    13 |
|            |             |        21 |         8 |        29 |                                    75 |
| BCCL       | Jharkhand   |        14 |        12 |         9 |                                    15 |
|            | WB          |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |        14 |        12 |         9 |                                    15 |
| CCL        | Jharkhand   |        19 |         5 |        11 |                                     3 |
| NCL        | MP          |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            | UP          |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |         0 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
| WCL        | Maharashtra |        20 |         9 |        13 |                                     6 |
|            | MP          |         2 |         0 |         0 |                                     0 |
|            |             |        22 |         9 |        13 |                                     6 |
| SECL       | MP          |         2 |         2 |         2 |                                     0 |
|            | Chattisgarh |        12 |         2 |         1 |                                     6 |
|            |             |        14 |         4 |         3 |                                     6 |
| MCL        | Orissa      |         1 |         2 |         4 |                                     0 |
| NEC        | Assam       |        62 |        48 |        66 |                                    32 |
| Coal India | Coal India  |       153 |        88 |       135 |                                   137 |

## Black marketing hoarding and irregularity in transportation of coal:

As  per  the  information  provided  by  the  CIL,  the  following  cases  of  alleged  black marketing of coal have been registered by CBI:-

| RC. No &Date                   | Officials of NEC, an unit of CIL.                                                                                                             |
|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| RC0172011A 0005 dated 12/04/11 | 1. Shri Deepakumar K, ASM, NEC 2. Shri S. Bhattacharjee, SO (Mining), NEC 3. Shri S. Acharjee, Sr. AO, NEC 4. Shri RajenMech, SOM, Tikak, NEC |
| RC0172011A 0014 dated 19/9/11  | 1. Shri Deepakumar K, Area Sales Manager, NEC                                                                                                 |

## NORTHERN COALFIELDS LIMITED (NCL)

In  respect  of  reports  of  black  marketing  of  coal,  CBI  Lucknow  and  NCL vigilance  dept.  had  jointly  conducted  surprise  check  at  7  small  scale  industries  at Kanpur,  Ramnagar,  Chanduli,  in  Uttar  Pradesh  on  25.03.2011.  CBI  has  registered cases against 5 of the said units. The names of these units are as under:-

|   S. No. | Case No.                       | Name of the Units                                                                                     |
|----------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | RC0062011A004 dated 13.04.2011 | M/s. Swastik Cement Products Pvt. Ltd., A-5 Industrial Area, Ramnagar, Dist. Chandauli, UP            |
|        2 | RC0062011A008 dated 13.04.2011 | M/s Drolia Coke Industries Pvt. Ltd., D-8 Industrial Area, Ramnagar, Dist. Chandauli, UP.             |
|        3 | RC0062011A005 dated 13.04.2011 | M/s. Fertico Marketing & Investment Pvt. Ltd., B- 20, Industrial Area, Ramnagar, Dist. Chandauli, UP. |
|        4 | RC0062011A006 dated 13.04.2011 | M/s. Jai Durga Industries, B-12 Industrial Area, Ramnagar, Dist. Chandauli, UP.                       |
|        5 | RC0062011A007 dated 13.04.2011 | M/s. Shree Ram Fuels, BH-4 Industrial Area, Ramnagar, Dist. Chandauli, UP.                            |

At Kanpur, joint check was carried out at the following two (2) units.

1. M/s Eastern Flames Pvt. Ltd.
2. M/s Pandit Fuels Co. Pvt. Ltd. No case has been registered against the above two units

Pursuant  to  surprise  check  by  CBI  and  NCL  Vigilance  Department,  NCL  has suspended coal supplies to all 22 SSI units with whom FSAs had been entered into. The FSAs of the said SSI units have since expired. The units have filed a writ petition with the Hon'ble Allahabad High Court for the renewal of the FSAs with NCL.

## SOUTH EASTERN COALFIELDS LIMITED (SECL) -

Only one case relating to black marketing has been reported.

## (e): INITIATIVES TAKEN TO CHECK ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES LIKE  …..

Measures taken by the coal companies to check such illegal activities like theft/pilferage, blackmarketing, illegal sale of coal, etc., include:

- i) Rat holes created by illegal mining are being dozed off and filled up with stone and debris wherever possible.
2. ii) Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
3. iii) Regular  raids/checks  being  conducted  by  security  personnel  and  static  security pickets including armed guards during the night hours are being deployed at pithead depots.
4. iv) Surprise  raids/checks  being  conducted  jointly  by  security  personnel  and  law  and order authorities of the State Government concerned.
- v) Fencing is being constructed at the various illegal mining sites along with displaying of signboard mentioning 'Dangerous and Prohibited Place'.
6. vi) Dumping  of  the  overburden  is  being  done  on  the  outcrop  zones,  which  are  not required to be mined.
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.
8. viii) Installation of check posts at vulnerable points to check transport documents.
9. ix) Training  of  existing  security  personnel,  refresher  training  of  CISF  personnel  and basic training of new recruits in security discipline for strengthening the security set up.
- x) The coal companies maintain close liaison with the State authorities.
11. xi) Committee/task  force  has  been  constituted  at  different  levels  (block  level,  subdivisional  level,  district  level,  state  level)  at  some  subsidiaries  of  CIL  to  monitor different aspects of illegal mining.
12. xii) Fencing,  lighting  arrangements  and  deployment  of  armed  guards  round  the  clock has been done around the coal dumping yard.
13. xiii) Regular  patrolling  is  conducted  in  and  around  the  mine  including  overburden dumps.
14. xiv) Armed Guards have been deployed at Railway sidings.
15. xv) Technology initiatives like GPS/GPRS/CC TVs and electronic weigh-bridges have been installed.
16. xvi) 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.
17. xvii) 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, etc.
18. xviii) Escorting of coal rakes in coordination with RPF upto weigh- bridges, is arranged in pilferage prone areas, etc.

## xix) IMPLEMENTATION OF IT INITIATIVES IN CIL AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

As the coal mines have large number of entry /exit points, physical surveillance of the area is almost impossible. Coal India and its subsidiary companies are emphasising electronic surveillance to obtain accurate data of production, dispatch etc.  Large number of such points has  been  connected  with  Wide  Area  Network  to  obtain  data  on  real  time  basis..The  main objective of different IT initiatives are of two folds, i.e.,

- i) Electronic surveillance to check theft and pilferage and
2. ii) Capture  of  real  time  data  of  production,  dispatch,  stores  etc.  to  improve operation efficiency.

An  integrated  system  has  been  conceived  consisting  of  GPS/GPRS  based  vehicle tracking  system  with  RFID,  CCTV,  boom  barrier  connected  through  a  wide  area  network connecting all vulnerable points like weight bridges, material stores, entry/exit points, stock yard, sidings,  explosive magazines etc. The objective is to track the movement of vehicles from  the  time  it  enters  the  mine  area,  i.e.  coal  dump/store  yard  to  sidings  along  its  route. Alerts are received in the form of exception report when vehicle violates defined routes, e.g. stoppage  for  longer  time  en-route,  deviation  from  the  designed  route,  etc.  The  status  of different  IT  initiatives  along  with  their  implementation  time  lines  for  all  subsidiaries  Coal India Ltd., and its subsidiaries have been fixed.

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