Steel Sector Should Reduce Imported Coal: Minister

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday urged the steel sector to reduce dependence on imported coal and make the required changes in technology.

Speaking during the launch of eleventh round of commercial coal mines auction, the minister said the import of coal should be reduced in a phased manner. The steel industry uses coking coal.

The minister also expressed hopes that the coal production target of 1,080 million tonnes for the current fiscal year would be met.

To increase coal production "we have to together make efforts", he said. So far, he said, 113 coal mines have been put on sale.

"Today the auction process of eleventh round of commercial coal mines has begun and in the coming days coal block auction will continue," he said.

The 27 coal blocks put on sale in the eleventh round are spread across Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh and include fully explored as well as partially explored mines and a coking coal mine.

These mines upon operationalisation will generate annual revenue of Rs 1,446 crore and will provide employment to about 19,000 people.