New Delhi

Gujarat can get major benefit of Rs 100 crore in terms of saving transportation cost of coal provided the central government implements recommendations of Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMTF). Mr. Piyush Goyal, minister of Coal, Power and New & Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) stated in Rajya Sabha on March 2, 2015 in reply to the question raised by member of Rajya Sabha Mr. Parimal Nathwani.

Mr. Goyal stated that the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMTF) include partial shifting of linkages of about 1.2 million ton from South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) to Western Coalfield Ltd (WCL) leading to savings in transportation costs of about Rs100.71 crore to Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd (GSECL).

IMTF was constituted in June 2014 for undertaking comprehensive rationalization of sources of coal with a view to optimize transportation cost and materialization under given technical constraints. The task force submitted its report on February 2, 2015.

Mr. Nathwani wanted to know the criteria for allocation of coal blocks from the Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), whether the allocation to coal to the State of Gujarat is as per the criteria and coal allocation in last three years and current year.

The minister in his reply stated that coalfield is allocated to thermal power plants taking into consideration long term availability, potential of incremental production and transportation availability. Gujarat gets coal mainly from coalfields in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) located in Chattishgarh and Central and East India. Only a small quantity is supplied from Western Coalfield Ltd (WCL). He also said that thermal power plants in Maharashtra get 40% coal from other states like Orissa and Chattishgarh.

According to the statement tabled in the house, total 69.95 million ton coal is supplied to thermal power plants in Gujarat by different subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd (CIL) in last four years under Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) as a part of New Coal Distribution Policy.

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