Even those who were allocated blocks of coal could not extract it. What we need a strong move to get coal out of the mines
                                 
No one has a clear cut response to the Comptroller & Auditor General of India’s (CAG) googly on the coal block allocations, ultra mega power projects (UMPP) and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport implementation.
     
Frankly, we do not know when the CAG began its study on the above and how long it took to make these observations before sending down this googly.
     
Prima facie, however, the purported loss of Rs1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer or the ‘gain’ by private companies, simply put, is really ‘notional’. In as much as only one mine is operative and 56 others are in the unending queue to get various clearances from the states concerned and the ministry of environment & forests (MoEF). In fact, 25 of these blocks have been de-allocated, which can now be offered to others. But, then, assuming standard bidding procedures are adopted, the successful bidders for these 25 blocks will only join the queue to obtain clearances!
     
It’s a pity that not even the media has been able to identify the incredible single performer under difficult circumstances. They need to be identified, congratulated and a close watch kept on their progress. If anything, the coal ministry must extend all possible support for that company to perform well and to exceed the targets of production envisaged by them.

The crucial question is whether we need power and what exactly are the stumbling blocks that hinder the progress?  Even if there were the original 57 out-of-turn allottees, no business house would sit on ‘wealth’ without extracting the coal for years on end, as it happened in this case. Clearance of one kind or another stopped them from making any step to start the mining operations.
     
Instead of harping on the issue of reiterating the stand that the allottees were (and are) stuck in the quagmire of clearance delays and simply apportioning the blames on one another, and, as time is the essence of contract, let the coal ministry call for a joint meeting of the MOEF, the relevant states involved along with the allottees for tripartite discussions to resolve the issues. The ministries concerned, including the PMO, must identify the major items of compliance needed, for work to commence. If the allottee is able to satisfy 85% (or the unanimously agreed quantum) of the requirements, permission should be given on the spot, in we would call a “Coal Mela”.
     
We recommend strongly the call for a “Coal Mela”, spread over a week to 10 working days. All the sides involved be asked to present full details. The methodology may be announced by the government independently off the coal ministry or MOEF and the 31 allottees, who have apparently made snail’s progress so far be asked to present the case to an independent authority, who will conduct this Coal Mela. The decision made in this meeting should be final and binding.
     
Those allottees, who obtain the “green signal” in this Coal Mela must be given a time-frame within which work must start and production to commence. No excuse leading to encashment of guarantees should be given by the concerned allottee.
     
Also, in the meantime, Coal India need not necessarily depend upon MMTC alone to do their imports of coal. It must encourage others to do the resourcing so that production does not suffer.
     
In carrying out his enormous duties under difficult circumstances, we do hope that Narasing Rao, Coal India’s chairman and managing director has no other internal issues or external pressures that prevent him from carrying out the tasks in front of him?

(AK Ramdas has worked with the Engineering Export Promotion Council of the ministry of commerce and was associated with various committees of the Council. His international career took him to places like Beirut, Kuwait and Dubai at a time when these were small trading outposts; and later to the US. He can be contacted at [email protected].)