Government considering privatization of Indian coal through the back door?

摘要

As part of the process to downsize the sprawling 550,000-strong Coal India Ltd (CIL) workforce, the Indian government is reportedly working on hiving off some of its functions, such as marketing, to other organizations, "not excluding private parties," as an insider put it pithily. While the government remains mum, saying that privatization of the industry can come only when the existing legislation is amended, insiders speak of a move to hand over the marketing of coal meant for the lower priority users to an national-level co-operative body, which in turn may enlist the services of some private companies.