CITU opposes setting up of Coal industry regulator

New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly opposed the Government's decision to provide sanction for setting up of a 'Coal Regulatory Authority' (CRA) for the coal industry.

CITU, in a press statement issued here today, expressed its fear that the proposed enactment would perverse the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1973 which had vested all authorities for mining and marketing of coal with Coal Authority of India, later renamed as Coal India Ltd (CIL).

CITU rejects the proposal as illegal and premediated for providing price support to private companies and also legalising their open market operation.

The reported move that the proposed regulator to identify and recommend coal blocks which are likely to be handed over, besides its role for price determination, is a dangerous step, it said.

This decision is loaded with implication that the bidder themselves would find routes to identify blocks via the so called 'independent' regulator. ''This would lead to total dilution of the role of CIL into a mere service provider. CITU opposes the decision also because of the fact that this would cause labour dispensation in a massive way to pave path for contractorisation,'' the statement added.

UNI BKS MP HS1806