Accused of supplying sub-standard coal at high prices, the country’s largest coal producer, Coal India (CIL), is planning to make third-party inspection of coal samples mandatory for all future fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with the user industries in the power, steel and cement sectors.

Sources privy to the development told FE that the move would restrain companies from levelling accusations against the coal PSU as the tests on coal samples would be undertaken by an independent agency whose selection would be mutually decided by CIL and the user companies.