ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU
Posted: Friday, Jul 06, 2012
New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has convened a meeting of coal and environment ministries to ascertain the reasons for delay in granting green clearances to 18 mines of Coal India Limited (CIL). The PMO is also working out a methodology to allow CIL to carry out 25 per cent capacity expansion for its existing mines without going through public hearings. The meeting will be chaired by Joint Secretary PMO, Shatrughna Singh.
The 18 mines have an estimated reserve of 185 Million Tonne and can fire thermal power turbines to produce nearly 64,000 MW. CIL has conveyed to the PMO that it is imperative to have time-bound clearances for its 119 projects, which can help increase coal production from the existing 225 MT per annum to 400 MTPA. Besides, CIL has also asked the government to retun nearly 138 blocks de-allocated from it earlier to help the PSU meet the growing domestic demand for the fuel.
CIL has told the coal ministry that unless it is assured adequate reserves it would not be in a position to make long-term production plans.
The PMO will also discuss institutionalising a mechanism to allow CIL to expand capacity of its existing projects without going through the system of securing consent of the villagers through public hearing.
At present, developers have to secure the concurrence of gram sabhas — with a 50 per cent quorum — under the Forest Rights Act before they can start mining. If the meeting of the gram sabha is postponed for want of quorum, the second meeting may consider the proposal without any restriction of 50 per cent quorum, the panel had suggested.
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