He called for greater participation by the steel industry in the mining of coking coal through PPPs between CIL and the steel producers. Recently, CIL issued expressions of interest (EoIs) for joint ventures to re-open 18 closed underground mines in the eastern part of the country. “This is a move in the right direction, and we are hopeful that this would help release locked coal through the PPP mode,” he said. Interestingly, Muthuramam sought exclusive rights for the domestic industry in such PPPs.

When contacted, coal secretary H C Gupta said it was a welcome idea. “There is no harm in the private sector seeking partnership with CIL to exploit coal reserves,” he told The Indian Express. In fact, the steel ministry too has pitched in for allowing SAIL to mine coking coal jointly with CIL.

According to official estimates, India will require 120-130 million tonne of coking coal imports to reach a steel capacity of 150 million tonne per annum by 2020. The demand for this input is set to spiral as steel companies prepare to step up production to about 80 million tonne per annum by 2012.

Domestic production of prime grade coking coal was just 10-12 million tonne till 2006-07 forcing high reliance on imports to feed the growing domestic demand. Of the total proven coal reserves in India, 13 per cent comprises coking coal and the remaining 87 per cent is non-coking coal.

•Tata Steel managing director B Muthuraman says the government must encourage public-private partnerships in operating virgin coking coal mines which are an exclusive domain of CIL and its subsidiaries at present

... contd.