NEW DELHI: The new government has asked India’s largest miner, Coal India Limited (CIL) to prepare an action plan detailing how it plans to enhance its output over the next five years and how it intends to fast-track the expansion and completion of existing coal mines.
The company was asked to prepare the blueprint ahead of Piyush Goyal taking charge as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy.
CIL’s 241 coal mining projects are awaiting clearances pertaining to environment and forests.
At present, 48 environmental clearance proposals, with a capacity of about 109 million tonnes are awaiting green nod at different levels and 193 forestry proposals are awaiting clearances either at Ministry of Environment and Forests or at the state levels.
The Maharatna firm, accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal output, produced 462.53 million tonnes of coal in FY 2013-14, missing its target of 482 mt.
Sources said the coal behemoth has also been asked by the ministry to adopt action plan for technology development and modernisation of mines in Coal India.
Coal India has been asked to develop “policies and action plan for enhancing underground mining.”
Earlier, the miner was also asked to look at the prospect of coal production from the mines that CIL has already abandoned.
Country’s coal production in the last fiscal was 564.7 million tonnes, according to a Coal Ministry document. Coal India’s production target for 2014-15 is 507 million tonnes. The time frame by when it is expected to submit the roadmap is yet to be decided.