TURA:
A successful bid for auctioned coal in Jharkhand state by a Garo Hills coal exporter has finally set the ball rolling for commencement of export to Bangladesh which for years was severely impacted by the NGT ban over rat hole mining in Meghalaya.
The first consignment of 3300 metric tons of auctioned coal from Jharkhand landed in Goalpara rail station on Wednesday as part of the total consignment of 50,000 metric tons, informed coal exporter and successful bidder from Garo Hills Georgeman Marak while speaking to The Meghalayan.
“It was an open online bidding of auctioned coal belonging to Coal India Limited and I was the highest bidder,” said Marak.
He revealed that the decision of Coal India to permit export of the mineral would be a game changer.
“Earlier Coal India permitted coal to be auctioned only for domestic sale. This is the first time coal is being auctioned for export,” says Marak as he proposes to transport the first consignment that arrived in the rail rake to Bangladesh through Golakganj land export point in Assam.
The coal from Jharkhand state has been acknowledged by importers from Bangladesh to be nothing short of premium quality and very low smoke emission.
Following the NGT ban on rat hole mining and subsequent closure of export to Bangladesh, the energy-starved country has been compelled to fall back on the mineral from countries like Australia United States and Indonesia.
“The quality of coal from India is far superior, particularly the Jharkhand coal, which will be the first time Bangladesh is getting import of such a consignment,” says Georgeman Marak.
The young businessman and coal exporter from Garo Hills is also making a second bid at online auction of coal on Thursday, this time from Assam, which he hopes to win and further export to Bangladesh where the demand is intense.
“I have earlier also won auction bids from Nagaland, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills and this time I hope to be successful when Assam begins its auction since Bangladesh has a huge demand,” believes Georgeman Marak.
MOVE FOR EXPORT FROM STATE
Marak also revealed that he is moving an application seeking permission from the Meghalaya government for possible export of more incoming coal consignment from Jharkhand and Assam through the land export points of Gasuapara and Mahendraganj in Garo Hills and Bagli and Borsora in the Khasi Hills region.
“Although the coal consignment will be from Jharkhand and other states, yet there is much revenue generation to be made for the state. Meghalaya will benefit from State GST, transport revenue and even labour employment if permission is given for the coal to enter and pass through the state borders. After all, it is less than 200 kms from Assam to the Bangladesh border in Garo Hills,” points out Marak.
Before the NGT ban took effect in the state, Meghalaya used to export close to 75 lakh metric tons of coal, derived from rat hole mining, to Bangladesh. Garo Hills alone exported 10-15 lakh metric tons while the bulk went from the Khasi Hills region.