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The coal ministry is poised to meet the demand for 874 million tonnes of coal for the power sector in the financial year 2024-25, announced Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday.

Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the release of the 'PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan in Coal Sector' booklet, Joshi stated that the Power Ministry's requirement of 821 million tonnes for the financial year ending March 31 had already been fulfilled.

"Their (power ministry's) demand has been met. They had asked for 821 million tonnes and it has been supplied," Joshi said.

He further stated that for the fiscal year 2024-25, the power ministry has requested 874 million tonnes of coal, a demand that the coal ministry is committed to fulfilling. Joshi also expressed confidence in surpassing the milestone of 1 billion tonnes of coal production by March.

Highlighting a decrease in the share of imported coal for blending purposes, Joshi noted that in the current fiscal year, coal import for blending stood at around 22.20 million tonnes, down from 30.80 million tonnes in the financial year 2022-23.

Joshi emphasized significant savings of Rs 82,264 crores through the reduction of coal imports in just one year and reiterated the government's goal to eliminate coal imports entirely by 2026.

The minister also mentioned the coal ministry's collaboration with the Ministry of Railways to ensure the availability of transportation rakes. He stated that the average availability of rakes for coal transportation has increased from 369 per day last fiscal to 392 per day currently, with further improvements expected this year.

Regarding the booklet's release, Joshi highlighted its significance in facilitating seamless utilization of information on PM Gati Shakti projects. He mentioned that the booklet includes information related to various projects and cases requiring prompt resolution, along with two applications designed to identify land for development purposes and provide potential coal block information to investors, aiming to streamline land use and enhance investments in coal mining projects.