WCL has asked industries to submit documents like sale-purchase records and details of mode of payment by the industries if they want to avail coal supply from this public sector undertaking. The papers have to be supplied every month. This direction covers non-core industries, which include all units other than primary manufacturers of steel, cement, paper, fertiliser and power plants.
WCL has sought information about manufacturing and other transactions by these units to check diversion of coal into the grey market. The company has even withheld supplies since September since some units are yet to start furnishing the information. Industrialists say it will be cumbersome to provide papers related to each and every transaction.
There are around 120 industries that have been affected by the move here, said Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) president Pravin Tapadia. "The documents have to be certified by the District Industries Association and it will not be physically possible to get so many documents signed each month. The stoppage of supply has led to an increase in premium on coal being purchased under e-auction, which is an open bidding system," he said.
Tapadia said there are chances that this may also lead to leak of business secrets, since invoices and other bills have the rates at which goods have been supplied and the names of their clients. There is all the chance that some unscrupulous employee in WCL would provide these papers to a competitor, industrialists fear.
The industries are ready to provide other documents like electricity bills, value added tax and central excise returns, which can also be evidence to prove production is underway in the units. However, WCL is sticking to its stance, even as the matter has been escalated to the chairman as well as senior officers in the parent company — Coal India Limited (CIL).
President of Chandrapur MIDC Industries Association Madhusudan Roongta said other subsidiaries of CIL like SECL are not asking for such details. Ahir had requested WCL to relax the conditions for release of coal quota for September, but to no avail, he said.
Commenting on this issue, chairman-cum-managing director of WCL DC Garg said they are only complying with the directions by the parent company, and they have all the right to verity the bona-fide usage of coal supplied to the industries.
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