2 fuel linkage projects facing delays: Coal Ministry

New Delhi: The Coal Ministry has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that two of the four fuel linkage projects, including Shivpur-Kathautia rail line in Jharkhand, are facing delays and need the Centre's intervention to expedite them.

"Two out of four fuel linkage project are currently delayed and there is a need for central intervention to expedite delayed projects," an official said, without sharing details of the other project.

The ministry during a meeting with Modi this month conveyed it to him that Shivpur-Kathautia rail line to facilitate faster transportation of coal in Jharkhand is facing delays. The forest clearance for the project in underway and land acquisition for the project is pending, the official added.

It also discussed exploring opportunities to promote coastal movement of coal, the official said.

However, the ministry said that the crucial Jharsuguda- Barpalli railway line in Odisha in on schedule and is likely to be completed by June, the official said.

"Bhupdevpur/Kharsiya to Korichapar-Dharamjaigarh project in Chhattisgarh is on schedule and it is expected to be completed by March, next year," he said.

Last week the government had said that the land related issues with regard to long-pending Tori-Shivpur railway line, which would help in fast evacuation of coal to power plants, have been resolved and the 44-km long project is expected to be completed by 2017-end.

The government had said that the project will evacuate 80-100 million tonnes of coal.

Central Coalfields Ltd in a report had earlier said that the expected year of completion for Tori-Shivpur section was 2016-17.

The Environment Ministry had granted stage one forestry clearance to the Tori-Shivpur rail section in April 2011. The stage II clearance for the modified alignment came in June 2013.

The Jharkhand government, the Coal Ministry and the Railways had entered into a pact last year for a joint venture to construct railway lines in command areas of Central Coalfields.