Manipur will begin to avail of the Coal quota from this fiscal and this will definitely give a boost to the local entrepreneurs’ and small industrial units that rely on firewood and bootlegged coal. Coal India Limited has allocated 7 lakh metric tonnes to the state.
Director Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution (CAF & PD) Ranjan Yumnam said this while addressing a press conference at DIPR Manipur office in Imphal on Wednesday.
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Under new Coal distribution policy the distribution of Coal to units in small and medium sector whose requirement is up to 4200 MTs per annum is to be done through an agency nominated by the State Government and in respect of Manipur, CAF & PD Department is the State Nominated Agency (SNA). Being SNA, CAF & PD is to facilitate Industrial Units to procure coal from Coal India Limited (CIL). The actual freight charge is to be borne by the consumers, industrial units.
Accompanied by Assistant Director CAF & PD Nabakanta and OSD of the Department RK Binoy, Director Ranjan stated that as State Nominated Agency, for lifting coal CAF & PD need to enter into Fuel Supply Agreement with each coal company. The Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) is based on firm commitment and compensation for default in performance on either side. So far the Department concluded such FSA with NEC, Coal India Limited, Mergherita only for lifting 10,000 MT of coal for the current financial year.
As on date CAF & PD have successfully mobilised demand and delivered about 500 MTs of coal to few brick kilns of the state. There are about 98 brick kilns in the state. Shifting from wood fuel to coal will substantially reduce dependency on firewood and which will curb deforestation to a good degree.
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Besides the state government has urged the central authority to lay underground pipelines for fuel supply to the volatile border state in future, he stated.
The project aims to supply fuel through a pipeline connecting Guwahati-Lumding-Silcher-Imphal and it may take 2-3 years time, he added. The proposal includes LPG pipeline from Numaligarh to Imphal via Dimapur.