Lok Sabha Question No. 621 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-23
Subject: Illegal Mining/Blackmarketing of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK, KAMLA DEVI PATLE, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.621

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2015

**Illegal Mining//Blackmarketing of Coal**

**621.	SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK** :

**SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE:**

**SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH;**

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

1. whether the incidents of illegal mining, blackmarketing, hoarding, theft, and irregularity in transportation of coal have been reported from various ancillary companies of Coal India Limited (CIL) during the last three years and the current year;

1. if so, the details thereof  and the loss of revenue caused thereof, Company/State-wise and Year-wise;

1. Whether alleged involvement of some of the security personnel and officers of various companies have come into light in some cases; and

1. if so, the details thereof and the action taken against them along with steps taken/proposed to be taken to check such incidents in future Company-wise?

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL, POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY**

**(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)**

(a)& (b):Coal India Limited(CIL) has informed that theft/pilferage of coal, if any, is carried out stealthily and clandestinely.  As such, it is not possible to specify the exact quantum of coal stolen and loss of revenue on account of theft/pilferage of coal.  However, as per raids conducted by the security personnel as well as joint raids with the law and order authorities of the concerned State Governments, the quantity of coal recovered and its approximate value in respect of Coal India Limited (CIL) during the last three years and current year (till May, 2015), year-wise, subsidiary-wise and State-wise, is given as under :-

**(i)** **Illegal Mining of Coal**

| **Co.**                              | **State**        | **2012-13**             |                              | **2013-14**             |                              | **2014-15**             |                              | **2015-16 (upto May’15)(provisional)**   |                              |
|--------------------------------------|------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|                                      |                  | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)**                  | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** |
| **ECL**                              | **WB**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **4.00**                | **0.08**                     | **34.75**               | **0.70**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **Jharkhand**    | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **BCCL**                             | **Jharkhand**    | **883.98**              | **18.07**                    | **1096.46**             | **45.77**                    | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **WB**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **188.33**              | **7.88**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **CCL**                              | **Jharkhand**    | **39.00**               | **0.42**                     | **4.33**                | **0.19**                     | **139.00**              | **1.55**                     | **2.00**                                 | **0.02**                     |
| **NCL**                              | **MP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **UP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **WCL**                              | **Maharashtra**  | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **MP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **12.00**               | **0.50**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **SECL**                             | **MP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **Chhattisgarh** | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **MCL**                              | **Odisha**       | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **NEC**                              | **Assam**        | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **37.45**               | **1.16**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **Coal India Limited (Grand Total)** |                  | **922.98**              | **18.49**                    | **1342.57**             | **55.60**                    | **173.75**              | **2.25**                     | **2.00**                                 | **0.02**                     |

-: 2 :-

**(ii)Theft of Coal**

| **Co.**                              | **State**        | **2012-13**             |                              | **2013-14**             |                              | **2014-15**             |                              | **2015-16 (upto May’15)(provisional)**   |                              |
|--------------------------------------|------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|                                      |                  | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)** | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** | **Qty. Recovered (Te)**                  | **Approx. Value (Rs. Lakh)** |
| **ECL**                              | **WB**           | **1944.00**             | **38.86**                    | **1801.00**             | **36.02**                    | **2229.60**             | **44.64**                    | **597.01**                               | **29.85**                    |
|                                      | **Jharkhand**    | **2104.00**             | **42.08**                    | **2068.00**             | **41.36**                    | **2188.72**             | **43.79**                    | **267.29**                               | **13.36**                    |
| **BCCL**                             | **Jharkhand**    | **8352.58**             | **181.20**                   | **12212.86**            | **497.60**                   | **13812.17**            | **585.04**                   | **1803.68**                              | **77.90**                    |
|                                      | **WB**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **39.51**               | **1.66**                     | **179.46**              | **7.54**                     | **44.55**                                | **1.87**                     |
| **CCL**                              | **Jharkhand**    | **2333.69**             | **28.61**                    | **352.40**              | **8.22**                     | **940.00**              | **24.37**                    | **72.00**                                | **0.72**                     |
| **NCL**                              | **MP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **UP**           | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **WCL**                              | **Maharashtra**  | **146.71**              | **3.34**                     | **61.81**               | **0.94**                     | **133.36**              | **2.97**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **MP**           | **22.84**               | **0.32**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                | **0.00**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **SECL**                             | **MP**           | **4.40**                | **0.26**                     | **21.01**               | **1.02**                     | **49.53**               | **1.95**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
|                                      | **Chhattisgarh** | **114.92**              | **2.91**                     | **39.00**               | **1.06**                     | **3.00**                | **0.12**                     | **4.50**                                 | **0.05**                     |
| **MCL**                              | **Odisha**       | **30.80**               | **0.31**                     | **33.23**               | **0.33**                     | **74.30**               | **0.72**                     | **0.10**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **NEC**                              | **Assam**        | **313.93**              | **17.77**                    | **212.00**              | **11.62**                    | **13.03**               | **0.62**                     | **0.00**                                 | **0.00**                     |
| **Coal India Limited (Grand Total)** |                  | **15367.87**            | **315.66**                   | **16840.82**            | **599.83**                   | **19623.17**            | **711.76**                   | **2789.13**                              | **123.75**                   |

(c)	Number of complaints regarding alleged involvement of security personnel and officers of various coal companies  in connection with blackmarketing, hoarding, and irregularities in transportation of coal received during the last three years and the current year (upto May, 2015[provisional]), subsidiary-wise and year-wise are given as under:-

| Name of the coal company           |   **2012-13** |   **2013-14** |   **2014-15** |   **2015-16 (upto May,2015) (provisional)** |
|------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------------------------------------|
| Eastern Coalfields Ltd.(ECL)       |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |
| Bharat Coking Coal Ltd(BCCL)       |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |
| Central Coalfields Ltd(CCL)        |             5 |             6 |             5 |                                           0 |
| Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd(MCL)       |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |
| Northern Coalfields Ltd(NCL)       |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |
| Western  Coalfields Ltd(WCL)       |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |
| South Eastern Coalfields Ltd(SECL) |             0 |             1 |             2 |                                           0 |
| North Eastern Coalfield (NEC)      |             0 |             0 |             0 |                                           0 |

(d) After investigation, regular departmental action was initiated in consultation with Chief Vigilance Commission (CVC) and other nodal Departments and appropriate penalties imposed based on the gravity of the offence.

Various measures taken by the coal companies to check such illegal mining, blackmarketing, hoarding, theft, and irregularity in transportation of coal include:

1. Rat holes created by illegal mining are being dozed off and filled up with stone and debris wherever possible.
2. Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
3. 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.

…3/-.

-: 3 :-

1. Surprise raids/checks being conducted jointly by security personnel and law and order authorities of the State Government concerned.
2. Fencing is being constructed at the various illegal mining sites along with displaying of signboard mentioning “Dangerous and Prohibited Place”.
3. Dumping of the overburden is being done on the outcrop zones, which are not required to be mined.
4. Collection of intelligence reports about illegal coal depots and illegal movement of coal and informing district authorities of the same for taking preventive action.
5. Installation of check posts at vulnerable points to check transport documents.
6. 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.
7. The coal companies maintain close liaison with the State authorities.
8. Committee/task force has been constituted at different levels (block level, sub-divisional level, district level, state level) at some subsidiaries of CIL to monitor different aspects of illegal mining.
9. Fencing, lighting arrangements and deployment of armed guards round the clock has been done around the coal dumping yard.
10. Regular patrolling is conducted in and around the mine including overburden dumps.
11. Armed Guards have been deployed at Railway sidings.
12. Technology initiatives like GPS/GPRS/CC TVs and electronic weigh-bridges have been installed.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Escorting of coal rakes in coordination with RPF upto weigh- bridges, is arranged in pilferage prone areas, etc.

****