PM approves formation of 12-member GoM on coal

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved formation of a ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to sort out environmental issues hurting coal production.

This comes in the backdrop of ever widening demand-supply gap in Coal which is likely to touch 142 Million tonnes next fiscal and classification of 203 coal blocks by environment ministry as "no-go" zones. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given consent for the formation of a 12-member Group of Ministers (GoM), mainly to consider issues impacting coal production and development projects in the country," a top Coal Ministry official told PTI. The panel has been asked to finalise its recommendations within two months.