Coal India told to bridge import gap

The Union power ministry has urged Coal India to import coal amid the unwillingness of power generating companies to source coal at high prices from the overseas markets.

A Reuters report quoted a power ministry letter dated May 28 — which stated Coal India would import coal for blending on a government-to-government (G2G) basis and supply to the thermal power plants of state generators and independent power producers.

For Coal India, which has been stepping up its own production, there could be a possibility that the government as an exigency measure issue a presidential order on import.