To increase coal supply to the power sector, state-run Coal India (CIL) will step up indigenous production of the fuel.
"Coal India will increase the indigenous production of the fuel to meet demand," Minister of State for Coal Sriprakash Jaiswal said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
The government has envisaged new mining projects with additional capacity of around 310 million tonnes during the current XIth Five-Year Plan (2007-12).
CIL is taking various steps like improvement in equipment utilisation, timely implementation of projects, improvement in productivity both in underground and opencast mines to increase coal mining capacity.
It is also planning new mines with mechanization and introduction of mass production technology in the underground mines.
He added, "Coal imports are planned by Power Sector every year in advance keeping in view its requirement and Coal India is also contemplating to import the dry fuel."
CIL and its subsidiaries are adopting measures to check pilferage of coal, including regular patrolling in and around the mines.
Meanwhile, the government is considering the issue of major restructuring of CIL during the XIIth Five-Year Plan Period (2012-13).
