The government has put 90 of Coal India's (CIL) nearly 150 greenfield and brownfield mining projects on the fast track, entailing an investment of around Rs 88,000 crore, in a bid to augment domestic coal supply quickly and ensure uninterrupted power.
The coal ministry has sought faster clearances for CIL's much-delayed projects, some of which have been on the drawing board for decades and could double its capacity once complete, as this would also allay the apprehensions of the firm's trade unions about its future as the expansion plan would create hundreds of employment opportunities and ensure the behemoth retains its dominant market stature.
This move runs parallel to the proposed auction of coal blocks that the government intends to wrap up in the current financial year, for which an ordinance was promulgated on 21 October.