The Second meeting of the Group of Ministers headed by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to sort out environmental restrictions affecting coal production remained inconclusive on Thursday.
The Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, made a presentation to address the concerns of the coal, power and steel ministries. Emerging from the meeting, Mr Ramesh told reporters that there was no decision taken today.
“We plan to meet again in a couple of weeks,” Mr Ramesh said without elaborating on the proceedings.
Similarly, the Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, reiterated that both coal and environment ministries will have to tread the middle path in sorting the issue. However, he did not elaborate.
The Environment Ministry's classification of nine major coal fields into ‘Go' and ‘No Go' areas depending on the forest cover is seen impacting the coal output resulting in a widening demand-gap supply.
The Group of Ministers has been set up at the behest of Coal Ministry, which is demanding more coal bearing areas for boosting the coal output.
The Steel Minister, Mr Beni Prasad Verma, said Mr Ramesh was flexible in his approach towards the concerns of the steel sector. He hoped that clearances would be granted to some seven coal blocks allotted to the steel sector.