Coal news and updates

Not possible to quantity pilfered coal volumes: Goyal

Theft/pilferage and illegal mining of coal is carried out stealthily and clandestinely. And thus, it is not possible to specify the exact quantum of coal stolen and losses incurred on account of theft/pilferage and illegal mining of coal, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (I/C) in the Ministry of Coal, Power and New & Renewable Energy, recently said in the Lok Sabha.

However, as per the information provided by the minister, up to December in 2015-16, the amount of pilfered or stolen coal recovered at CIL itself was 13,452 tons, whose value is at Rs 610.67 lakh.

Among all the Coal India Limited subsidiaries, Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) experienced the highest volume of recovery of stolen or pilfered coal at 9,141.37 tons whose value is pegged at Rs 400.95 lakh. The volumes were recovered from the two states of West Bengal (289.80 tons) and Jharkhand (8,851.57 tons) whose value can be estimated at Rs 14.20 lakh and Rs 386.80 lakh respectively.

Second came ECL with a recovered quantity of 4,106.44 tons (Rs 205.34 lakh), spread over West Bengal (2,658.78 tons, Rs 132.94 lakh) and Jharkhand (1,447.66 tons, Rs 72.40 lakh).

The FIRs lodged in relation to theft, pilferage of coal up to December 2015 were at 137 for Coal India. The number was at 135 in fiscal 2014-15 against 88 in 2013-14 and 153 in 2012-13.

The information was retrieved from raids conducted by security personnel as well as joint raids with the law and order authorities of the concerned state governments.

The coal companies, meanwhile, have adopted several measures to check such illegal activities like theft/pilferage, black marketing, illegal sale of coal, etc.

Rat holes created by illegal mining are being filled up with stone and debris wherever possible. Concrete walls have been erected at the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent access to illegal activities, Goyal said.

Regular raids/checks are being conducted by security personnel and static security pickets, including armed guards, have been set up during night hours at pithead depots.

Dumping of overburden is being done at the outcrop zones, which are not required to be mined.