The Union government has said that Coal India (CIL) has adopted modern technologies for coal mining. It has proposed to further modernise mining operations in its mines. For this purpose, a Committee has been constituted to look after the issues for technology up-gradation and modernisation of CIL through hiring of international consultants.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Coal, Pratik PrakashBapu Patil in a written reply in Lok Sabha recently. Patil said that an Expression of Interest (EoI) was floated in the websites of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), Coal India and Ministry of Coal for inviting proposals from International Consultancy Firms / Organizstions for Technology Development and Modernization of Mines of CIL.

Minister further said that altogether, fourteen (14) International Consultancy Firms / Organisations having experience in consultancy services for coal mining activities responded. Examination of these responses has not been completed.