Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh lead coal capacity expansion: Global Energy Monitor
In 2023, India brought online 5.5 GW of new coal-fired power plant capacity, more than double the 2.7 GW of new capacity added in 2022.
Orissa colliery majdoor sangh (OCMS) affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has strongly opposed the centre’s decision to open up coal sector to private players for commercial use.
Earlier in an amendment to the coal mine nationalization Act, centre had opened up the coal mining for captive use only for the industries.
In a strongly worded statement, the general secretary of the OCMS Souvagya Pradhan protested what he said, “Anti-worker and pro-private management attitude of the NDA government at the centre and urged upon coal workers of MCL to get prepared to fight to protect the interests of coal workers”.
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He pointed out that “ already now the regular jobs will be massively replaced by contract workers of outsourced agencies without any security, protection of job and social safety”.
He also feared that with the allotment of coal blocks to private companies to mine coal for commercial use mean that cheaper coal will be available to consumers than the CIL coal.
Workers will face unsafe mining, in secured jobs in private coal mines , he added. Pradhan saw no justification in opening up the coal sector to the private companys when CIL was doing extremely well since 45 years of nationalization.
With the current coal production of 600Mt tone ,CIL has an ambitious target to produce 1 billion tonne of coal by the year 2020. He hoped that coal workers in the county will stand to oppose it.It has also reduced its manpower to great extent.
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