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Praise for the Book
Coal is the main energy source for India. While it would undoubt-
edly have economic and environmental dimensions anywhere in
the world, in India it has overarching political concerns due to the
rent-seeking that goes with a virtual state monopoly on mining of
coal. In his clinical style, Subhomoy Bhattacharjee gives a rounded
view of the coal economy and the critical place that it enjoys in the
energy security of India.
—Ashok Chawla
Chairman, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and
former Finance Secretary
Coal, often referred to as black gold or black diamond by some, is
an important sector in a developing country such as India. There
are so many issues related to the coal sector—energy issues, en-
vironmental issues, labour issues, social issues, economic issues,
trade union issues and the issues around coal mafia.
Subhomoy, in his book India’s Coal Story, has not only tried to flag
the various issues but has also brought historical as well as recent
perspectives to these issues. The history of coal is almost parallel
to the history of India since the days of the British rule. The book
is well researched, providing wonderful insights into the troughs
and crests that the coal industry has undergone.
Coal not only has been a key mover in India’s energy sector but
also seems to have moved politics. There are various instances of
this in the book. Having earlier worked in a coal-producing district
in erstwhile Bihar (now Jharkhand), I can correlate my own experi-
ences with what Subhomoy has presented succinctly in his book.
Over the nine chapters in the book, he has captured the vicissi-
tudes in the emergence of the coal industry, with vivid description
of the events that unfolded in the journey, bringing to the attention
of the reader the facts and events, as well as the stories behind such
facts and events.
On the whole, the book, I am sure, will attract not only econo-
mists but also historians, political commentators, industry onlook-
ers and anyone who wants to know anything and everything about
coal in India.
—UK Sinha
Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India
The convoluted evolution of India’s energy policies is difficult to
unravel, and this is particularly the case with respect to coal, which
remains the primary source of power in the country. Subhomoy
has done an admirable job in bringing alive the politics of coal
in India, the main dramatis personae in its unfolding saga and
the outlook for the future as the international energy environ-
ment undergoes significant changes, given the growing concerns
over climate change. This is an extremely useful reference for all
who may be interested in understanding how India will meet its
daunting energy security challenge and the role coal will play in
this regard.
—Shyam Saran
Former Foreign Secretary (served as Prime Minister’s
Special Envoy for Climate Change)
I N D I A ’ S
C O A L
S T O R Y
I N D I A ’ S
C O A L
S T O R Y
F r o m D a m o d a r t o Z a m b e z i
S U B H O M O Y
B H A T T A C H A R J E E
Copyright © Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or u tilised
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in 2017 by
SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd
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Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044, India
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Published by Vivek Mehra for SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, typeset in
10/12 pt Palatino by Zaza Eunice, Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India and printed
at Saurabh Printers Pvt Ltd, Greater Noida.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
ISBN: 978-93-864-4600-8 (PB)
SAGE Team: Rajesh Dey, Sandhya Gola, Syeda Aina Rahat Ali and
Kapil Gulati
To my daughter Debolina, who’d much rather I had written a fiction
To my wife Neeta, who thinks I have
