The Hindu Business Line : Industries & Commerce Assn keen to take up coal mining

THE Industries and Commerce Association, which looks after the interests of hard coke manufacturing units in and around Dhanbad in Jharkhand, is keen to take up coal mining activity on behalf of coke manufacturers who are facing rough weather due to non-availability of coking coal from Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL).

In his written representation to the Chairman & Managing Director of BCCL, the association's President, Mr B.N. Singh, has stated that there are a number of mines that have been abandoned by the coal company as these have been found to be economically unviable for mining.

Moreover, there are also a number of virgin land where mining could have been taken up by BCCL had there been no paucity of funds for doing so.

In a given scenario, Mr Singh has urged BCCL to allow the association to take up mining in one of these collieries abandoned by it or virgin coal block where mining has never been taken place.

The block could be developed for captive consumption purposes. This way, coke manufacturers would feel greatly relieved by assuring themselves of raw materials regularly.

Referring to a note issued by the Joint Advisor in the Union Ministry of Steel recommending the inclusion of coke manufacturing sector under "core sector" to the Ministry of Coal together with allocation of captive coal mine blocks, Mr Singh urged the Bharat Coking Coal CMD also to send a similar recommendation to the Union Coal Ministry.

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