Coming monsoon season there will be no coal shortage: Coal Minister

Even as the world economy is going through a slowdown, India has emerged as a bright spot as one of the fastest-growing economies globally, Union Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi assured the country that even during the coming monsoon season there will be no shortage of coal. India’s coal sector is fully prepared to meet the enhanced domestic demand of our fast-growing economy, he stated.

Addressing a high-level Conference & Exhibition on the theme “Underground Coal Mining – Way Forward for Sustainable Energy Security”, organized by Coal India Limited (CIL), Ministry of Coal here today, Shri Pralhad Joshi urged CIL to emerge as coal exporter in the next  2-3 years.

The Minister complimented Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries for achieving record coal production and said that sustainable mining needs to be ensured while working towards Aatmanirbhar India in coal sector. Shri Joshi urged to ensure safety in coal mines with utmost priority while focusing on stepped up production.

He called upon the coal sector to devise suitable action plans to meet the growing energy requirements of the country in the coming years. The Minister appreciated the new initiatives and reforms undertaken by the Coal Ministry to enhance commercial coal mining. 87 coal blocks have been successfully auctioned under commercial auction and some of them have already started production, he said. Shri Joshi stated that deliberation on new strategies to enhance coal production from underground mines is a step in the right direction.

In his address, Secretary, of the Ministry of Coal Shri Amrit Lal Meena underlined the importance of attracting more private sector firms into coal mining. He said that compared to pre-covid period coal import has come down considerably. Shri Meena complemented the coal warriors for ensuring record production and offtake while ensuring safety. Underground mining needs to be further promoted along with the coking coal mission, the Secretary added.