In 2022-2023 (April-June'22), the country has produced 204.876 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal as compared to 156.11 MT during the same period of last year with a growth of about 31%.

Coal India Limited, the largest producer of coal in the country, has produced 159.75 MT in the first quarter of the current fiscal achieving a growth of 28.9% over the same period of last year. Similarly, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has produced 16.92 MT of coal in the first quarter of the current fiscal achieving a growth of 8.6% over the same period of last year. Coal production of CIL and SCCL against the coal production target for 2022-23 is as under:-

(Figure in Million Tonnes)

The steps taken by the Government to make the country self-sufficient in the production of coal and reduce its imports:

i. Enactment of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021: The Act provides that captive mines owners (other than atomic minerals) may sell up to 50% of their annual mineral (including coal) production in the open market after meeting the requirement of the end use plant linked with the mine in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government and on payment of such additional amount. This step is an attempt to stimulate the coal block allocattees to enhance coal production.

ii. Commercial auction of coal blocks on revenue sharing basis.

iii. Regular Monitoring: A Monitoring Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Coal) with Chief Secretaries from respective Host States, Secretary (MoEF& CC), Coal Controller Organization (CCO) & CMPDIL as members of the Committee to conduct regular reviews and to expedite the development of blocks.

iv. Single Window Clearance: The Union government has launched Single Window Clearance portal on 11.01.2021 for the coal sector to speed up the operationalisation of coal mines.

v. Coal India Limited (CIL) contributing more than 80% of the indigenous production/supply has envisaged a plan to enhance its production to reach the level of one Billion Tonne (BT) coal by the year 2024-25 from its current production level of about 600 MT in order to meet the demand of coal indigenously and to eliminate non-essential import of coal in the country. CIL has already identified all resources required and its related issues/enablers like requirement of EC/FC, land acquisition, evacuation constraints etc. to achieve one BT production plan with.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in  Lok Sabha today.

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MG/RK