Panel meet on coal supply to end-use plants now on May 12

NEW DELHI: An inter-ministerial panel to look into issues pertaining to coal supply to end-use plants like steel and cement will now meet on May 12.

The panel was earlier scheduled this week. The Inter-Ministerial Committee, under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Coal) A K Dubey was constituted in March last year to consider issues related to fuel supply to end-use plants that are linked to coal blocks which could not be developed or were de-allocated.

"The meeting is rescheduled and will now be held on May 12," an official communication to Ministries concerned --Coal, Environment and Forest, Finance, Steel, Law & Justice.

It, however, did not mention any reason for postponement of the meeting.

The panel had recommended that the quantum of fuel to end-use plants, which were initially allocated coal blocks but they either could not be developed or were deallocated, may be assured after taking the opinion of Coal India ( CIL) and Central Electricity Authority ( CEA), an official said.

CIL had stated that it had already made substantial commitment to the power sector and all its subsidiaries were running negative balance of fuel supplies.

Earlier during the meeting chaired by Dubey, the Steel Ministry reiterated its earlier view that coal supplies to all the running plants should not be discontinued.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has also endorsed the views of Steel Ministry.