Goal is to build capacity, reduce imports of coal, machinery: Coal secy

India is working on achieving its goal to reduce spending on importing machinery and equipment for coal mining and simultaneously building up its own capacity to step up exports to other countries, Amrit Lal Meena, Union Secretary, Ministry of Coal said here on Saturday.
Coal India Limited (CIL) is still dependent on import of high capacity mining machines, rope shovels, 190T Dumpers and front-end loaders. The average annual import of these high capacity mining machines of Coal India Limited (CIL) is approximately Rs 750 crores for which customs duty of about Rs 250 crore has to be paid, he said.
CIL has been placing trial orders to encourage manufacturers to develop these equipment in India and results have been encouraging, Meena said while addressing a stakeholders meet on ‘Make in India’ initiatives for mining machineries here.
CIL plans to phase down imports of these equipment gradually over the next few years and make the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat a reality, the secretary