Govt to review 27 coal mines next week

With the country reeling under fuel shortages, the government will next week review 27 captive coal blocks allocated to firms like NTPC, Sasan Power and SAIL, which have not yet reached peak capacity or which are likely to start production in the current fiscal.
"Additional Secretary (Coal) shall hold a review meeting of captive coal block allocatees whose coal blocks have come under production but not achieved Peak Rated Capacity and whose coal blocks are likely to come under production (blocks where mining lease has been executed) on June 20," the coal ministry said in notice to the captive coal block allocatees.

"You are requested to make it convenient to attend the meeting along with the latest production data and assessment of production likely to be achieved during the current financial year 2014-15," the ministry said.
Some of the 21 coal blocks which have come under production but not achieved peak rated capacity are Tasra coal block allocated to SAIL, Moher and Moher Amlori Extension mine alloted to Sasan Power and Barjore North coal block of Damodar Valley Corp (DVC) among others, it said.
Six coal blocks which are likely to start production (where mining lease has been executed) in the ongoing fiscal are NTPC's Pakri Barwadih mine, DVC's Khagra Joydev mine and Jaiprakash Associates Mandla North mine among others.

Of the total 328 coal blocks identified for allocation for captive purposes, the government has so far allocated 218 blocks. The government has so far deallocated 80 coal blocks.
The demand and supply gap of coal which increased by 17.9 per cent to 171 million tonnes (MT) in the last fiscal is likely to touch 200 MT in 2016-17.