Oppostion flays coal Bill for ‘unresolved’ issues on land, workers’ welfare

Admitting the need for reforms in the coal sector to enhance production, the Opposition parties flayed the Narendra Modi Government for ‘unresolved’ issues, such as land acquisition and workers’ welfare, in the coal Bill and wanted it to be referred to the Standing Committee. The Bill was later passed by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014, replaces an ordinance issued in October that was brought in the wake of the Supreme Court order cancelling the allocation of 204 coal blocks on September 24 and resetting the agenda for re-allocation.

Initiating the debate, Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia said while land, and environmental issues remained unresolved, there was also no clarity on how many blocks and which ones would be put up for auction.

Scindia also questioned the need for changes in the Coal Nationalisation Act and the Mines and Minerals Act, which he said were not required to proceed with the re-allocation of coal blocks. “The proposed amendments are not required to auction the 74 coal blocks ... This Bill must be sent to the Standing Committee,” he said.

While recognising the need for restructuring Coal India Ltd (CIL), Scindia urged the Government to first appoint a CMD. “It is functioning without a CMD for the past seven months,” he added.

Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee, who was also heading the earlier Standing Committee on Coal, said the Government seemed more interested in FDI, adding that no industry chamber of the mine-producing States were consulted for such an important legislation.

Demanding that the Bill be sent to the Standing Committee, he said coal mines were “properties of the States. You (Centre) are not making any charity but making money by extracting from the State governments and trying to show that you are benevolent.”

Biju Janata Dal’s Tathagata Satapathy and CPI(M) member Jitendra Chowdhury too wanted the Bill to be sent to the Standing Committee and opposed any move to de-nationalise the coal sector.

Terming the Bill as a ‘band-aid’ rather than a long-term solution, Satapathy said natural resources belong to the nation and the Government should not leave any ambiguity in defining end-use.

Chowdhury also pointed out that the Bill would clash with the Forest Rights Act, as a majority of the 32 coal-producing districts were inhabited by tribals who would get displaced.

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