Coal shortage to continue, may see 15-20% dip in 2011: Min

Indian coal mines have hardly managed to meet the demands. Coal shortage has also added to the woes of power sector. Prakash Jaiswal, Coal Minister is expecting 15-20% coal shortage in this year.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Jaiswal said that the ministry is facing shortage as production could not be ramped up due to delays in environment clearances. On a positive note, Jaiswal said that production level is likely to improve by 5-10% this fiscal.
He explained that the delays in the extraction forced cancellation of 14 coal blocks. Continuing further, Jaiswal said that offtake still remains a key problem area for coal supply.
He is meeting the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the same issue on June 7.