BETTER DAYS? Workers at a coal mine in Dhanbad

Ranchi, March 4: Union finance minister P. Chidambaram’s announcement of having an independent regulator is significant for Jharkhand, which holds 33 per cent of the country’s total coal reserves.

The Union coal ministry is already working out modalities for the functioning of the regulator, which would keep a constant tab on public and private companies working in the coal sector.

Henceforth, the safety of mines, health safeguards of miners, wages, price of coal and grievances of coal consumers would be under scrutiny.

Apart from three functioning coal PSUs, there are a number of private players that have been allotted captive coal mines.

With private investments increasing in the sector, the Centre does not want to create a situation that prevailed during the pre-nationalisation of coal, where many private companies neglected social security and wages of miners, said sources in the ministry.

“Mishaps in coal mines were prevalent as several private companies spent very little on safety. The presence of a regulator will ensure there is no violation of any aspect of mining rules,” said the sources.

The state has a history of mine disasters with the last one recorded in 2006 at Bhatdih mines in which 52 workers died of suffocation after a sudden blast that resulted in the release of carbon monoxide.

At present there are several regulatory agencies within the government that deal with certain aspects of overall governance in the coal sector. Once a regulator is set up, coal governance shall come under one agency.

“We do not have any reservations in having a regulator in the coal sector. We welcome such a step by the Union government,” CIL chairman Partha S. Bhattacharyya told The Telegraph.

Among other issues, the coal regulator would look into coal resource management, allocation of coal blocks and its proper utilisation, health of coal miners, safety of mines, prices, wages, royalty and grievance of coal consumers.