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Year End Review
The total coal production in the country during the period January - November, 2004, has been 346.06 million tonnes, 6.7 per cent more than the target of 324.44 million tonnes. The total despatches during the period have also crossed the target of 329.06 million tonnes by 4.9 per cent and reached Rs.345.25 million tonnes.
The Ministry of Coal is responsible for development and exploration of coal and lignite reserves in India. The Coal India Limited (CIL) is largest coal producing organization, whose authorized share capital in March, 2003 was Rs.8,904.18 crore. Public sector CIL and its subsidiaries achieved collectively a pre-tax profit of Rs.4,889.16 crore in 2003-04 against Rs.2,865.50 crore in the year 2002-03.
The Ministry in October, 2004 has allotted Pakri Barwadih Coal block to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to undertake coal mining for exclusive use in their power plants. The Ministry has taken this step to facilitate power production in the country.
Besides the Ministry is considering all possible ways to augment coal production in the country to support the power sector. It has been decided, for the first time during this year, to allow a company in the private sector, mining and disposal of coal from Goititoria (East and West) coal blocks as non captive small and isolated deposits. This decision has been taken considering that small pockets of coal deposits cannot be mined scientifically and investment on infrastructure for proper mining may not be economically viable. Moreover, reserve available in such blocks would not be adequate to support any end use plant.
The Coal PSUs during the period January-November, 2004 have produced 313.08 million tonnes against a target of 305.08 million tonnes. Coal off-take during the period also reached 314.59 million tonnes crossing the target of 305.61 million tonnes. Capacity utilisation of CIL was 108.6 per cent.
The Government has declared the Public Sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC), as Mini Ratna Enterprise (Category-I) in August, 2004. NLC at present operating 3 open cast lignite mines of total capacity of 24 million tonnes and 3 thermal power stations with installed capacity of 2,490 MW.
During the period January-November, 2004, NLC achieved 1,037 LM of overburden and produced 191 lakh tonnes of lignite and 14,730 million units of power. During the year, all the power stations of NLC have received ISO certification for Quality Management System (ISO 9001 : 2000) and its Environment Management System received ISO 14001 : 1996 Certification. The company has paid a dividend amount of Rs.219.75 crore to Government of India for the year 2003-04.
Government of India has sanctioned in October 2004, its Mine II Expansion Project, raising its capacity from 10.5 to 15.0 million tonnes per annum at a cost of Rs.2,161.28 crore and Thermal Power Station II Expansion project of capacity 2 x 250 MW at a cost of Rs.2,030.78 crore. The Government in December 2004 had sanctioned Rajasthan Lignite Mine project with a capacity of 2.1 million tonnes per annum and its Thermal Power Project (2 x 125 MW) at a total cost of Rs.1,368.25 crore.
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