Cabinet divided on pricing power to coal regulator

The Cabinet was divided on giving pricing power to the proposed Coal Regulator. The Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, has told reporters that at the Cabinet meeting, consensus could not be reached on whether the coal regulator should be given rights to decide pricing of the commodity. The Cabinet referred The Coal Regulatory Bill to a Group of Ministers (GoM). Mr Jaiswal said the GoM would soon meet to fix the issue. The ministerial panel would discuss the issue and bring changes in the draft Bill. Other than pricing of coal, the regulator is aimed to ensure more optimal development and conservation of coal resources in the country. Mr Jaiswal said that he has asked Coal India Ltd to sort out differences with power producers and ensure smooth supplies.