Power producers asked to import coal to meet shortfall

New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Power producers have been advised to import 54 million tonnes (MT) of coal in the current fiscal to tide over domestic supply shortages, the government said Monday.

"For the year 2014-15, power utilities have been advised to import 54 MT coal to meet the shortfall," Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply in parliament.

"In view of shortage of domestic coal as of now, it would not be feasible to meet 100 percent requirement of power producer (including NTPC), from domestic coal production alone," he added.

In reply to another question, Goyal said coal imports in the last fiscal were 168.44 MT, while in 2012-13 India imported 145.785 MT of dry fuel.

The total estimated quantum of coal resources in the country is 301.56 billion tonnes, while the coal extracted during 2013-14 was 565.64 MT.

The minister also said that to ensure adequate quantity and quality of coal, Coal India has been asked to increase production, while a mechanism for third party sampling has been started by the state miner since October 2013 to ensure quality.