A day after Maoists killed six CISF personnel and a driver inside the biggest iron ore mining facility in the country, the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) complex here remained unguarded. Locals dropped in, “examined” the damaged Bolero, went through belongings of the deceased, noted the bullet marks and clicked photographs and made video films, even picking up the occasional empty shells.

The power ministry has asked the coal ministry to instruct Coal India Limited (CIL) to continue supplying coal to power plants through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route till the time the ongoing exercise of inking of fuel supply agreements (FSAs) are completed, failing which capacity addition of nearly 25,000 Megawatts will get stranded.

Producers say move shows CIL's attitude towards meeting fuel supply obligations

In a twist to the unending drama over coal supply, Coal India Ltd (CIL) has refused to supply to power plants commissioned since December 2011. The move is set to stall investment worth Rs 40,000 crore in new power capacity of 8,156 Mw. This includes a 300-Mw unit of Reliance Power’s Rosa power plant in UP and a 660-Mw plant of China Light & Power (CLP) at Jhajjar, Haryana.

New Delhi Power companies have sought intervention from the power ministry to ensure that coal supply is maintained to power plants through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route until fuel supply agreements (FSAs) are signed.

This comes after the Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL), a Coal India Ltd subsidiary, recently issued a circular to caution its customers that the MoU coal supply could be discontinued from June. Private power companies have warned that about 8,500 mw capacity could get stranded, if the CCL does not withdraw the circular.

Coal India Ltd (CIL), the world’s largest coal producer, would finalise at least eight fuel supply agreements (FSAs) by Tuesday, said its new chairman and managing director, S Narsing Rao.

However, sources said the country’s largest power producer, NTPC, was yet to sign new FSA with the city-based company, as it wanted a rollback on the gross calorific value (GCV) system.

Coal India is preparing to ink pacts with about 40 power firms

Power firms entering into a pact with state-owned CIL for a minimum assured quantity of coal will face suspension of supply if found diverting the dry fuel for any purpose other than for the specified end-use plant.

Bokaro district administration, Central Coalfields Limited, railway authorities, mining and forest officials will jointly crack down on illegal coal miners from Friday. Concerned over rampant illegal mining in Chas and Bermo subdivisions of Bokaro, from where tonnes of coal are smuggled out daily on dumpers, trucks and even passenger trains, the crackdown will focus on illegal miners and transporters alike.

Hazaribagh, April 8: Being eco-friendly is today’s mantra for a safe planet. Following the trend, Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL) has decided to put its best foot forward by starting a campaign to plant 50,000 saplings of fruit-bearing trees at the abandoned Sangam coal mine at Bhurkunda in neighbouring Ramgarh district.

Speaking to The Telegraph, chief general manager of CCL’s Barka Sayal project Sumit Ghosh said that two ecological experts from the Jawaharlal Nehru University visited the mine in mid-March.

Coal ministry feels selloff proceeds will go to the cash-rich coal giant and not in govt coffers. The coal ministry is not in favour of divesting 10% stake in Coal India’s subsidiaries, as proposed by the divestment department, as it will only infuse more funds into the cash-rich coal giant, a senior ministry official told ET.