Thaindian News

Ranchi, Oct 7 (IANS) A Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Friday requested the coal ministry to be flexible while formulating the proposed regulations on sale of ammonium nitrate, misused as an explosive by terrorists and Maoists, and noted these could impact coal production.

“I’ve been told that all the coal mines generally require ammonium nitrate for the purpose of blasting. Ammonium nitrate is not an explosive on its own but is processed to be used as explosives to blast for producing coal,” Rajya Sabha member Jaiprakash Narayan Singh said.

“Non-availability due to stringent regulations can reduce the coal production and have a spiral impact on economy and employment. In my state (Jharkhand), most of the employment is generated from coal mining activity,” Singh in a letter to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal.

Singh, who is also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on coal and steel, contended that some of the provisions of the proposed regulations - like putting sale of the substance under the Explosives Act - are “draconian” and would lead to an acute shortage of ammonium nitrate.

“I’m worried if mindless regulations are brought in without consultations with end-users like coal industry and experts, it would have detrimental effect not only on my state of Jharkhand but on the overall already dwindling power situation,” he said.

The MP urged the ministry to involve wider range of experts and end-users to arrive at a suitable regulation, which is in the interests of industry as well as of the nation.

A notification issued on July 21, 2011, by the union commerce and industry ministry has put ammonium nitrate or a combination containing more than 45 percent of ammonium nitrate under the Explosives Act, 1884.

The government is also in the process of framing fresh regulations for ammonium nitrate, seeking to ban the open sales of substance.