Coal news and updates

 

Green activists had pointed out flaws in the coal ordinance brought by the Narendra Modi government stating that it had failed to keep up the objectives of Supreme Court that had cancelled the allocation of 214 coal blocks recently.

 

"The activists from all over the country would be gathering in New Delhi on November 17 to chalk out plan for a nation-wide protest against the coal mines (special provisions) ordinance 2014," Alok Shukla of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan - a non-government organisation working for environment protection-said. It is unfortunate that the ordinance had been brought in haste, he added.

 

Senior activists Anand Mishra and Nandkumar Kashyap said the Supreme Court judgment and the strictures passed against the government during the course of the proceedings were an earnest attempt by the apex court to encourage and coax the authorities to devise visionary, long term strategies and policy measures to utilise valuable resources in the strategic interests of the nation. "While formulating the new coal ordinance, the government has failed to keep any of the Supreme Court's objectives in mind and has moved to completely nullify the above order," they added.

 

The activists said the whole process of coal allocation under the ordinance had been centralised without any room for consultation with the states or elected representatives. "Despite apex court reservation, the ordinance had allowed commercial mining for sale and any other purpose; allows joint venture the central and state government," they added. All mining should be restricted to strict end-use for domestic needs and there should be no mining for commercial gains or private profiteering, the activists added.

 

Leading advocate Sudha Bhardwaj said no joint ventures especially those with the public sector undertakings should be allowed in mining that would lead to blatant misuse of scarce natural resources by private sector and weaken the public sector undertakings. "Coal India Limited (CIL) should be accorded priority in all coal block allocations in the country," she added.

 

 

Source: Business Standard