Nagpur: Repeated fire incidents at the Adasa UG-2 to OC Coal Yard under Western Coalfields Limited’s Savner Sub-Area have raised serious questions about stock management and the security of government property.
What happened
The Coal Yard-1 has reportedly witnessed repeated fires over the past three months. In Coal Yard-2, there are allegations that old, fire-affected and burnt coal was mixed with fresh stock. As a result, an estimated 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of coal stock and nearly 1 lakh metric tonnes of affected coal are believed to be involved. However, these figures and the alleged mixing of old coal are yet to be officially confirmed.
Nagpur Today has highlighted the issue and recalled that the newspaper had previously raised questions about coal supply and quality.
Four key questions requiring investigation
1. Government property gutted—who is responsible? The fires caused losses worth crores of rupees and destroyed government property. The responsible officials must be identified.
2. Stock management under scrutiny: An investigation should determine when the fires occurred in Coal Yard-1, the extent of the damage and what safety improvements were made afterward. The allegations of old coal being mixed with new stock in Coal Yard-2 also require an independent probe.
3. Accountability must be fixed: An impartial inquiry should examine the role of the Adasa management and the officials and employees concerned. If evidence of safety lapses, irregularities in records or violations of rules is found, action should be taken according to the rules. The actual loss to government property should also be assessed.
4. Coincidence or negligence—or something more? The fire incidents have heightened suspicion amid questions about coal quality, grade and stock management. However, allegations of any conspiracy or attempts to destroy evidence have not been confirmed. Instead of speculation, an impartial investigation, a transparent report and accountability are necessary. The quantities of old and new coal, quality reports, weighment slips and stock registers should be reconciled. It should also be clarified whether the prescribed rules for keeping fire-affected coal separate and testing its quality were followed.
Members of the public and coal consumers have demanded an impartial investigation by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
