DIVERSIFICATION PLAN Law Kumar Mishra | TNN Dhanbad: The public sector company Coal India Ltd has decided to enter into power production and has signed three MoUs with different electricty boards in Uttar Pradesh, Chatisgarh and Tamil Nadu for setting up 1000 megawatt capacity plants in the three states. However, the implementation of the power projects would be taken up after three years as CIL has resolved to concentrate on increasing coal production, CIL chairman, Partho S Bhattacharya told the TOI on Monday.

The Energy Division will send the draft coal policy to the Cabinet Division by tomorrow for its placement before the council of advisers for approval, after a delay by about two years and a half over various controversies, officials said.

It is difficult not to miss the irony.

The law ministry has pointed out that some sections of the draft coal policy would contradict the existing Mines and Mineral Rules 1968 and suggested amendment of the rules before approving the policy. A representative of the law ministry made the observation at an inter-ministry meeting on the draft coal policy, chaired by energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin at the Energy Division on Thursday, said sources present at the meeting.

The Director General (DG), Wapda, Tahir Basharat Cheema has said that government, using coal as fuel, is planning to set up 5000 MW power generation plant within the next few years. He said this while speaking at a ceremony arranged by Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said that the country's survival largely depends on proper use of its coal reserves. '184 billion tonnes of coal reserves were available in Thar area alone', Cheema said. He expressed concern over the fact that Pakistan was generating only 0.1 percent electricity from coal.