CPI(M) Politburo on Wednesday alleged the Centre’s plan to move Ordinance was an attempt to de-nationalise the coal sector. The left party demanded the public sector undertaking Coal India should be empowered rather than allowing private operators to coal mining.
“This completely nullifies the Coal Nationalisation Act of 1973. Coal was nationalised as a precious national asset required for the country’s development especially to provide energy resources to the people. By an open market e-auction this objective would be negated. In any case such a decision cannot be taken unless the parliament enacts a legislation nullifying the 1973 Act.
“The 1973 Act has already been considerably diluted by successive Central Governments from the Vajpayee-led NDA Government onwards when the right was given for captive power plants in specific sectors like power generation, steel, fertilizer and cement. These coal blocks were allocated under this dispensation. It has now been found that most of these coal blocks were not under production but were used as collaterals for raising capital and speculative profiteering through sale of coal for purposes other than the stipulated ones,” said CPI(M) in a statement.