Team News Riveting
Ranchi, May 12
Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), an arm of state-run Coal India Limited (CIL), had enhanced the raw material supply in an overt move to support the ministry of power to ensure uninterrupted supply in the COVID fight.
The ministry of power had taken a series of steps to make sure power supply to the oxygen plants across the country and other important utilities engaged in COVID control was not hampered. Amidst the pandemic panic, the sufficient and timely supply of raw material to the power stations had been crucial.
CIL and its subsidiaries including CCL supply raw coal to more than 80 per cent of power plants in the country. At the time of pandemic, it is the top priority of CCL to ensure interrupted supply of coal to the power plants. Anticipating a rise in power demand in the country, the company is ensuring on an average 49 rakes of coal from its mines to various parts of the country. On 11 May, 55 rakes were sent from various railway sides of the company.
CCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) P M Prasad had directed the General Managers in the monthly coordination meeting to ensure coal evacuation adhering COVID protocols. The energy warriors of CCL are carrying out mining activities during the ongoing pandemic to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the power plants, Prasad said.
“This is a time of pandemic and we are committed to serve our stakeholders. We have inked various MoUs with local administration in respect to setting up ICU units, building infrastructures etc for giving better treatment to Covid patients. The company is working to build a sustainably self-reliant India with support of Hon’ble Coal Minister, Coal Secretary Dr Anil Kumar Jain and CIL Chairman Shri Pramod Agarwal. We are getting full support from the Jharkhand Govt. too,” the CCL CMD added.
Besides, the CCL had stepped up its fight against the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, besides ensuring increased quantity of coal to power plants in various parts of the country including Delhi. The CIL entity has signed MoUs with local administration amounting to about Rs 10 crore. The company has already transferred Rs 6.25 crore to the local administration and the remaining amount will be transferred shortly.
CCL has signed eight separate MoUs with local administration of Ramgarh, Latehar, Chatra, Bokaro, Ranchi, Giridih, Palamu and Hazaribagh in respect to treatment of Covid patients as well as building infrastructure in hospitals. Recently, CCL management has signed a MoU with Latehar district for setting up a 12-bed ICU with oxygen supply pipeline at Sadar Hospital. Also setting up PSA Oxygen Plant and strengthening of ICU facility at Sadar Hospital (Chatra district), digital covid centre and high- tech ambulance with oxygen in Bokaro district. One MoU for Medical College, Hazaribagh is related to procure 100 oxygen concentrators, 100 Jumbo cylinder, 100 B-type cylinder etc so that the Covid-affected person having respiratory issues met get proper treatment within the district itself.
At Ranchi, the state Capital of Jharkhand, CCL has Gandhinagar Central Hospital which is converted into Covid Hospital by the district administration and a large number of Covid patients are undergoing treatment. CCL has earmarked a budget of 7.08 lakh under CSR for procurements of drugs, masks, oxygen cylinders for Covid wards.
In FY 2020-21, CCL contributed Rs.26 crore to the Central and State Govt. for tackling the Covid pandemic and CCL also contributed Rs 1.25 crore to the district administration of eight districts where our mines operated including Ranchi district. There were distributions of dry food grains, mask senitizers etc amounting to Rs 129 lakhs in last fiscal.
