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Coal may become part of the list of essential commodities if the recommendation made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel is implemented by the Government.
The Committee has asked the Government to include coal as an essential commodity to help curb pilferage and prevent illegal mining of the commodity. Coal was removed from the category of essential commodities under the Essential Commodity Act.
The Committee, which tabled its report in Parliament recently, suggested that the Coal Ministry should approach the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for inclusion of coal as an essential commodity to control the production, supply and distribution of the commodity.
Cost of illegal mining
Further it suggested that Coal Ministry ask all coal companies to prepare a comprehensive document including the details of human lives lost, environmental degradation and the resultant loss to the national economy due to illegal mining.
Stating that the natural resources of the country are being plundered at the cost of national economy and destruction of environment, the Committee observed, “officials responsible to curb illegal mining are either indifferent or too scared to stop the menace. In short all responsible officials including State law enforcement officers are not at all interested to prevent illegal coal mining.”
A total of 583 cases of illegal mining have been reported by Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries between April 2006 and September 2009. Stating that there may be thousands of cases that go unreported, the Committee felt that coal companies should deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in co-ordination with the State police for maintaining more vigil and curb illegal mining and theft of coal in leasehold areas.
A study done by Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad and Xavier Labour Research Institute, Jamshedpur for Government of Jharkhand estimates losses from coal theft and illegal mining to coal companies at Rs 106 crore and cost to the State Exchequer at Rs 34 crore a year in Jharkhand alone. Further, the panel suggested that Coal Ministry and Coal India should undertake a study to assess the extent of illegal mining.
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