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States lax in checking out coal mafia

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, Dec. 12

Only six out of the 13 States, who were asked for verification of linked coal customers by the coal producing companies at the behest of the Coal Ministry, have send in partial response. The remaining seven have preferred to ignore the Central Government initiative to weed out mafia and ensure proper coal supply to the genuine customers and have not responded.

The Minister for Coal and Mines, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, today reiterated his stand to stop coal supply to those units who are not verified by the concerned state governments after December-end.

There are around 6,000 linked coal consumers who are sponsored by the concerned state government by certifying their requirements. Following widespread complains that this coal is finding its way to the black market, the Ministry had asked for verificati on of the physical existence and actual coal requirements of these units from the state governments.

But actually the feedback from the state governments have been extremely poor and the Ministry is expected to formulate an alternative internal verification policy for which works are at a nascent stage now, sources said.