Third party sampling of coal likely by December

NEW DELHI: Third-party sampling of coal supplied by Coal India ( CIL) is likely to be put in place by the end of this year, the Coal Ministry has said.


"Implementation of third party sampling by CIL (will happen) by December 31, 2013," an official document of the Ministry said.

The government had earlier said the mechanism was expected to be in place by August.

CIL had earlier invited bids from firms for collection of dry fuel from mining heads and preparation of samples with analysis.

Nine bidders had submitted tenders for the technical bids for third party sampling.

The country's largest power producer NTPC had earlier refused to sign fuel supply agreements (FSA) with CIL as it was of a view that the the state-run firm was supplying inferior quality coal.

However, later both the PSUs buried the hatchet and the state-run power utility said it will sign the fuel supply agreements with CIL but with riders.

The country's largest power producer earlier said the company's Board has approved signing of FSAs with CIL for 9,370 MW capacity plants and the sampling will take place at the loading point.

"Coal India informed that the third-party sampling and analysis at loading end shall be introduced before September 30, this year," NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury had said.