SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 16: In wake of coal crisis in power plants across the country, Coal India Limited (CIL) has directed its seven subsidiaries including Jharkhand’s Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coal Field Limited (CCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) to stop the e-auction of coal (selling coal to private party) with immediate effect.
CIL General Manager (marketing and sales) has shot off letter in this regard to the General Managers (M&S) of BCCL, CCL, ECL NCL, WCL, SECL, and MCL to stop the e-auction of coal until the stock of power plants is improved.
“In view of the current low stock of coal at the power houses, supply of coal is being prioritized to the power sector to replenish the dwindling stock. In view of this, coal companies are advised to refrain from conducting e-auction of coal till the situation stabilizes. Moreover if any company finds it necessary, CIL should be informed with justification”, said CIL GM in his letter to the subsidiaries company.
As per the official sources, 92 racks of coal (one rack coal carries 4 thousand tonnes) are being supplied from Jharkhand based mines of CCL, BBCL and ECL to power plants across the country every day. Officials said that there is no dearth of coal. “Due to Gulab cyclone, mines had been inundated and mining was affected.”
Meanwhile on Saturday, Jharkhand Industry and Trade Association (JITA) strongly opposed the order of CIL and said that such directive on supply would close all coal based industries in Jharkhand.
JITA General Secretary Rajiv Sharma said that the directive is impractical and would shut down the coal based industries in Jharkhand completely. Turbine of industry would close in non-supply of coal resulting over one lakh labourers rendered jobless.
“From this order several industries would be Non Performance Assets (NPA) and industrialists would become bankrupt”, he said.
JITA general secretary said in 1972 coal mines were nationalized to save coking coal which is used only in steel manufacturing and not in power plants. But wrong policies of central government have created a crisis.
A delegation of JITA would meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren soon to intervene into the matter for saving coal based industries of the state as well as life of one lakh labourers’ families.
