New Delhi: The coal ministry’s public sector undertakings (PSUs) have optimised coal production to do away with non-essential import of the mineral in the country. So far, the country has produced 785.24 million ton (MT) of coal (up to February 2023) against 681.98MT during the same period last year with an increase of 15.14%.
The all India coal production in the year 2021-2022 was 778.19 MT in comparison to 716.08 MT in the year 2020-2021 with a growth of about 8.67%. Most of the requirement of coal in the country is met through indigenous production / supply. The focus of the coal ministry is on increasing the domestic production of coal and to eliminate non-essential import of coal in the country.
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For the year 2022-23, the total import upto December, 2022 is 186.06 MT and the total domestic coal supply upto February 2023 is 794.96 MT.
The five major overseas supplier countries of coal are Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, USA & Russia.
[Figures in Million Tonnes (MT)]
|
Year |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
|
Total Consump-tion & Demand (a+b) |
898.25 |
968.14 |
955.72 |
906.13 |
1027.92 |
|
Total Import (b) |
208.25 |
235.35 |
248.54 |
215.25 |
208.93 |
|
Total Domestic coal supply (a) |
690 |
732.79 |
707.18 |
690.88 |
818.99 |
No violation of SC judgement on MDOs allotment
To a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union coal minister coal minister Prahlad Joshi said central government has no role in appointment of mine developers and operators (MDOs). It is responsibility of state/central government PSUs to appoint MDOs transparently and as per provisions of Coal Mine Development & Production Agreement (CMDPA).
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As per section 11(1) of the Coal Mines Special Provisions Act, 2015, an allottee may elect to adopt and continue such contracts which may be existing with any of the prior allottees in relation to coal mining operations. Further, there is no transfer of rights in the mines allotted in favour of a MDO. Hence, there is no violation of the Supreme Court judgment and the CMSP Act, 2015.
Provisions related to appointment of MDOs before the allotment of coal block are mentioned in section 11(1) of the CMSP Act. To ensure appointment of MDOs after allocation of coal blocks to governments companies in future, NITI Aayog had recommended that instead of amending the CMSP Act, ministry of coal may insert a clause in the CMDPA signed between the government and the government companies’ allottees barring “appointment of MDOs before the allotment of coal block”. Said recommendation received from NITI Aayog has been accepted by the ministry.
