“We have 47 million tonnes of coal ready for the power companies. It is they who should be willing to offtake it for their use. We cannot be blamed for their inability to do the same. My ministry is determined to provide them the needed quantity of coal for their assured production,” minister of state for coal Santosh Bagrodia told The Indian Express.

He said that last month the ministry had invited the power companies to offtake 15 million tonnes of coal from the pitheads of the coal companies but barely 5 million tonnes were taken by them. “This clearly indicates that they are unable to lift their share of coal,” he said.

The ministry had asked the power companies to ensure a coal stock of at least 21 days for meeting any exigency, but their current coal stock is of of barely seven days.

By the end of 11th Plan, the demand for coal would be around 732 MT from the present 466 MT per annum, in order to meet the 2 million MW target. Currently, the annual incremental growth of production of coal was 6 to 7 per cent, which needed to be increased to 10 to 2 per cent, Bagrodia said.

“We will try to ensure that at least 105 million tonnes of coal is extracted from these blocks by the end of the current plan period. Moreover, our emergency coal production plan is also going on well and in the foreseeable future we do not see any case of coal shortage.

It is learnt that of the 163 blocks allocated till date, just over a dozen have reached the desired production levels.

The rest — some of which were allotted as far back as 1998 — have either not secured environmental clearances or have not submitted acceptable mining plans to the government. Coal ministry, which falls under the purview of the Prime Minister after Shibu Soren’s exit, is now taking a serious view of the situation.

47 mn tonnes

The amount of coal ready for the power cos

15 mn tonnes

The coal power companies were invited to carry form the pitheads

5 mn tonnes

The coal lifted by power companies so far