(a) whether any rise in the demand for coal has been registered during the last three years;
(b) if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to meet this demand;
(c) whether the Government has constituted any study group on demand for coal in future; and
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the objectives thereof?
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COAL, FINANCE & CORPORATE AFFAIRS
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a):The all India demand of coal during last three years is given below:-
Year 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 (Provisional)
ActualDemand (MT)$ 836.39 837.23 899.69
$ Actual Demand (Dispatch+Import).
(b): Due to concerted and co-ordinated efforts, the offtake / dispatch of coal of CIL has increased from 488.86 MT in 2014-15 to 580.04 MT in 2017-18. The progress of production of CIL is reviewed regularly. CIL has been directed to work out a definite action plan to ensure higher production and offtake in future. CIL has also been directed to ensure that necessary clearances for the existing coal mines are in place which will help in increasing the coal production in the short/medium term and also operationalizing the newly allocated coal mines for further increasing production in the medium term. New rail lines are being laid for smooth evacuation of increased coal production from the mines of growing coalfields of SECL, MCL and CCL.
(c)&(d) :As a part of the strategy to evolve a long term policy in the coal sector, CIL engaged KPMG to prepare a ‘Vision Document 2030’ for coal sector in India. The broad scope for the said Vision document includes Demand and Supply scenarios for 2020 and 2030, Technology requirements for the coal and lignite sector, Advancement in coal and lignite mining, SWOT analysis of the sector and Action Plan for the sector over this period.
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