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Coal India board to discuss power plants supply today

Coal India Limited (CIL) will seek the approval of its board on Wednesday for providing the fuel for another month, under the MoU route, to power plants commissioned in the 2012-13 fiscal.

The earlier deadline for supply of coal through MoU route expired on 31 December 2012, according to a CIL official. Another one month is sought as power companies, including NTPC, are yet to sign fuel supply pacts with CIL, he added.

'In the meeting, likely on Wednesday, CIL will seek the approval of its board for supplying for another one month's coal under the MoU route to those power plants commissioned during 2012-13,' a Coal India official said.

'More time is sought as the fuel supply pacts are yet to be completely signed,' the official said. An MoU is not a legally binding document and now that route would be used till the issues holding up the Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) are resolved.

The government had in May directed coal companies to supply fuel to power plants that have been commissioned in 2012 through the MoU route till FSA issues are resolved. 'The Ministry of Coal has issued a directive to coal companies to supply coal to power plants commissioned till 31 March 2012 as well as those to be commissioned during 2012-13 through the MoU route as the FSAs are getting delayed,' the Power Ministry had said.

'With this directive, the commissioned plants would be able to generate power without facing disruption of coal supply,' it had said. Earlier this month, the Coal Ministry had said that 35 power firms have so far entered into fuel supply pacts with Coal India amid the government stating that most of the issues relating to FSAs have been resolved.

The statement followed the government announcing last month that power companies are likely to ink fuel supply pacts with CIL in a month's time.

The ministry also expressed hope that the remaining 79 fuel supply pacts would be signed shortly. 'The balance (FSAs) are expected to be completed shortly,' the statement said.


MOEF PANEL TO TATAS: GET FOREST NOD FOR JHARKHAND STEEL UNIT


Tata Steel has been asked by the MoEF panel to get forest clearances prior to seeking environment nod for its coal mining project in Jharkhand.

The Coal Ministry allocated Ganeshpur Coalmine in Latehar, Jharkhand, having a production capacity of four million tonne per annum (normative), jointly to Tata Steel and Adhunik Power & Natural Resource for their thermal power projects.

'Stage-I forest clearance for the coal mining project is required, as per an environment ministry panel,' said an official source.
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