Coal India (CIL) has sought the PMO?s intervention to complete the Tori-Shivapur-Kathotia railway line by early 2016 because without a facility to evacuate coal, the miner would not be able to develop projects towards achieving 12thplan target of producing 615 million tonne at the terminal year.
Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has already written to the railway ministry asking it to fast-track three railway projects. CIL, he wrote, was missing out on 15% of additional production due to lack of railway logistics. But the railway ministry did not swing into action on this matter.
CIL has now given a note saying that without enabling the company to produce more coal, all projections of the Planning Commission on the 13thand 14thplan period would fail. CIL has also asked to fast-track all requisite clearances besides putting the Tori- Shivapur-Kathotia railway line project on the priority list.
CIL, in consultation with its subsidiary CMPDIL, has estimated 795 mt coal productions in the terminal year of 13th plan (2021-22). But this projected coal production is achievable only if forest clearances, environmental clearances and land acquisition issues are expedited and R&R issues are settled on time.
According to an official, this target has been envisaged on the basis of production which CIL can achieve by the end of the 12thplan period. The plan panel asked CIL to give an estimate of coal it can produce at the end of the 13thplan period in the view of the power sector?s significant improvement on capacity addition.
The improvement has made evident the widening demand-supply gap, while the power sector grapples with fuel shortages at present.
A power ministry official said the government has envisaged 86,400 mw of power capacity addition in the 13th plan period, of which 66,000 mw will be coal based. A group constituting representatives from power ministry, coal ministry, Planning Commission, CEA and CIL has already held six meetings since its formation in November 2012 to assess the coal production and availability scenario for the 13th Plan period.
The group noted that no new coal linkages have been granted since April 2010 due to severe shortage of coal. If this trend continued, the whole planning for 13thplan period and even for 14th plan would fail.
However, CIL is insisting on timely clearances and completion of railway projects to keep production on track.
The company has planned expenditure of Rs 5,000-6,000 crore for implementing six railway infrastructure projects, which would be implemented by the railways. NTPC, SAIL and RINL could be equity partners in it, a coal ministry official said.
