NEW DELHI: The Coal Ministry has asked captive coal mine owners to increase their production for their end-use plants while warning that corrective steps to regulate fuel supply from Coal India Ltd will be taken for poor output.
The direction to captive mine owners such as NTPC, Hindalco Industries and Ambuja Cements has come amidst acute coal shortage faced by thermal power plants in the country.
"In view of the shortage of coal in the country and shortfall of production from the captive coal mines, you are requested to ramp up the production to meet your captive requirements," the Coal Ministry said in a letter to the allottees of operational coal mines.
Action taken by the captive mine owners, it said, will be reviewed next week.
The coal ministry further said that the production of coal from the captive mines has been reviewed recently by the Nominated Authority.
The review revealed that many allocatees are falling severely behind the schedule of production.
"In view of the rising demand for electricity from thermal power plants in the country, the demand for coal has been increasing from the thermal power plants," the coal ministry said.
The coal blocks were allotted to the captive allocatees to meet the coal requirements for the end-use plants, the ministry added.