Ministry of Coal finalizes Action Plan for 2022-23 Focus On 15 Crucial Areas

The Ministry of Coal has finalized an Action Plan Document for the year 2022-23 which broadly focuses on the following areas:

1. Grey Hydrogen
2. Just Transition/ Energy Transition
3. Restructuring Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation. (CMPFO)
4. Coal evacuation
5. Benchmarking of Machines & Quantifiable Parameters (Output per hr/per machine)
6. Outsourcing of Coal India Ltd. (CIL) Mines
7. Coal Trading Platform
8. Regulatory Mechanism for coal
9. Training
10. Corporate Restructuring of Coal Sector (CPSEs)
11. Quality Issues
12. Lignite Gasification
13. Coking Coal Strategy
14. Coal Pricing Reforms
15. Futuristic Agenda- comprises of :-
16. Coal to Chemical
17. CIL diversification
18. Robust Media campaign
19. Close monitoring of CSR activities

This is for the second time that an Agenda document for the year has been brought out in the form of a compilation and provided to all senior functionaries who have been apportioned the responsibility of steering these focus areas through the year with regular monitoring and appraisals.

The areas covered step up the major reforms done in the last few years and also give direction for covering and meeting the existing and the emerging challenges of the Coal Sector and aligns itself well with the emerging technologies and diversification thrust of the Coal Sector.

The Action Plan covers the entire gamut of areas for steering the Coal Sector into new technologies while focussing on the core competence of increasing production targets. Coking Coal Mission had been launched by the Ministry for enhancement of coking coal production from 45 Million Ton in 2020-21 to 140 MT by 2029-30 which includes 105 MT from CIL.

Work on the following areas from previous year’s Agenda will be continued this year also :

1. Coking Coal Strategy
2. Coal Pricing Reforms
3. Futuristic Agenda

The Futuristic Agenda includes- Coal to Chemical: Syn Gas, Hydrogen Gas, Liquid fuels, Chemicals and fertilizers, CIL – diversify its business and explore prospects in sunrise industries electric charging pods, EVs etc., acquisition and mergers of similar or new business after due diligence, media campaigns and close monitoring of CSR activities.

The Action Plan for 2022-23 is available on https://coal.nic.in/sites/default/files/2022-05/31-05-2022a-wn.pdf