Imported coal

BL reports

In a bid to meet the increasing demand for coal, Government is examining whether the public sector behemoth Coal India Ltd (CIL) could be allowed to import coal and sell it to the domestic customers.

However, following the recent Supreme Court order stating that price discrimination through e-auctioning method violates the Constitution, the modalities of selling the imported coal is to be determined suitably, sources said.

"The question is whether CIL will have to sell the imported coal at market determined prices through e-auctions or the company has to stick to notified prices as in the case of domestically produced coal. This has to be a policy decision by the Government," sources said.

You would have thought, in a commodity like coal, price would depend on its quality and not on whether its imported.