The Hindu : Business : Rail-coal interface plans field-wise loading programme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
ePaper

Business

Business

Rail-coal interface plans field-wise loading programme

Special Correspondent

To ensure optimum utilisation of Railways, CIL infrastructure

KOLKATA: Faced with the problem of pithead stocks of 42.8 million tonnes on the one hand and pursuing a XI Plan production plan, which involves a doubling of growth rates, on the other, the public sector Coal India Ltd (CIL) wants to team up with the Indian Railways to formulate a field-wise wagon loading programme attuned to the offtake target so as to ensure optimum utilisation of infrastructure available with both the organisations.

The mismatch between wagons' requirement and their availability in peak production months is a major concern for CIL and results in pithead stocks accumulation, sources said.

Top officials of CIL, led by its chairman, held a meeting with senior Railway officials led by Adviser (Traffic) Railway Board here recently to work out strategic initiatives to ensure free movement and supplies. This meeting comes soon after the one held by the Union Coal Secretary, H. C. Gupta, to review the coal stock position in New Delhi last week. Other than officials from CIL and its subsidiaries, the meeting was attended by officials of Central Electricity Authority, the power utilities and the Indian Railways, when the coal stock position at the power utilities was discussed. "The idea is not to enter into a blame-game but to try bring about a drastic improvement in the situation before the onset of monsoons," sources attending the meeting said.

Low coal supplies

It was revealed during the meeting that because of mismatch between supplies and coal movement, at least nine power plants were running with low coal supplies sufficient only for one to seven days requirement, even as CIL subsidiaries were carrying high levels of stocks. All concerned were then asked to improve their performance by June-end.

Ironical though this may sound, the development comes at a time when CIL which supplies coal to 73 power stations is carrying stocks which are seven million tonnes higher than in the same period of 2006. Stocks at the power plants end were 14 million tonnes in April 2007, as against 18 million tonnes in April 2006. The depletion in power house stocks is attributed to increased consumption at their end mainly but also their strategy of carrying smaller inventories.

While the Rail-Coal interface, held here last week, is normally an annual ritual, it assumes significance in view of the increased loading that CIL will have to undertake this year and the increased wagon requirement through the current Plan period. CIL's contribution to total originating traffic of the Indian Railways is estimated at 27 per cent and is larger than the combined total of oil, steel and cement.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Business