4.50L tonne coal ‘missing’, minister orders probe

Chandrapur: District guardian minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday ordered probe into 4.50 lakh tonne coal going missing from Baranj opencast mine of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) near Bhadravati in 2018-19.
During a meeting held with collector Ajay Gulhane and others, Wadettiwar claimed he has received complaints about pilferage of 4.50 lakh tonne coal from the KPCL mine. Hence, the inquiry has been ordered to verify how and where this coal was disposed off.
Baranj mines of KPCL had carried out mining in Baranj I–IV, Kiloni and Manora blocks in Bhadravati tehsil from September 2008 to March 31, 2015. The mine was shut following de-allocation of coal blocks as per Supreme Court orders in March 2015. As per records with the administration, the company had excavated 1.51 crore tonne coal till February 2015. Out of this, 1.47 crore tonne coal was dispatched and the mine was left with stock of 4.51 lakh tonne, when the mine was closed.
However, entire coal had gone missing from the stock in a span of few months in 2018-19. The mining department had carried out inquiry into the matter following complaints by then Union minister of state Hansraj Ahir and former MLA Nana Shamkule.
Then additional district collector Sachin Kalantre and district mining officer Gajanan Kambli had inspected the coal stock in July 2019. In their report, they had concluded that around 94,000 tonne coal was burned to ashes and nothing was left to recover.
A police complaint was filed in the case, but the matter was thrown on the backburner.
Based on the complaints filed with him, Wadettiwar took up the matter afresh and ordered inquiry into the loss of 4.50 lakh tonne coal. He claimed that if such a large quantity of coal had been burned, then locals would have noticed it. But no one has any information about burning of such a huge quantity of coal in the stock yard.
The minister claimed there is possibility of large scale misappropriation and hence inquiry is necessary.