The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Coal demand-supply gap increasing: Dasari

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 21, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Coal demand-supply gap increasing: Dasari

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR, FEB. 20. The demand-supply gap for coal in India had increased to 95 million tonnes in the 11th Five-year Plan period from 55 million tonnes in the 10th Plan, the Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Dasari Narayana Rao, said here on Sunday.

The increase in use of coal in power generation sector had increased the gap, though the production had gone up by 3.5 million tonnes. Between 22 and 23 million tones of coal was being imported to bridge the deficit, he told reporters at a press conference.

New mines

"Indigenous efforts are on to improve coal production by giving permission to 27 new mines, and six of them will be functional within next three months," he said.

While clearance for nine mines was expected to be given by the end of this year, the additional production was likely to go up to 7 million tones by December 31.

About one million tones of coal was getting diverted into the black market. Recently, the vigilance wing of the Ministry identified that Panyam Cements in Nandyal, which was not into production since past two years, was getting its quota and selling the same in the black market, he said.

Last month, vigilance officers of all States met in Kolkata and discussed the issue. The Nandyal case would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, he added.

A Coal Vision-2030 document was being formulated and he had discussed with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, about its salient features, he said.

An experts panel was also constituted with the APIIDC chief, Sankaran, as its chairman, to prepare the document.

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