Apropos the report “The curious case of coal crisis” (February13), it is shocking to know that the private sector is sitting on 49 billion tonnes of coal reserves in 208 captive blocks and producing only 37 million tonnes a year, less than six per cent of the potential production capacity. A similar story will emerge if we were to take stock of the unutilised land with the private sector.
Though forest, environment and land clearances are necessary hazards in this sector, they by themselves can’t account for this huge gap. The government should place stringent conditions while giving coal blocks so that any block that remains unused or underutilised for five years after grant reverts to the state. The need to open some areas for the private sector came from the government’s lack of finance and the widely-believed inefficiency of the public sector. Efficiency must include ability to secure all clearances, of course, legally and without bribing.
Bhaskar Sen, Kolkata
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