Staff correspondent
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a meeting today (Thursday) on the much-talked-about coal policy draft that has long been shelved without any decision.
State Minister of the Ministry Nasrul Hamid, MP is expected to preside over the meeting. The process to finalise and approve the coal policy has gathered pace after his assumption of office this year, said an official of the Energy Division.  
The finalisation of the policy in order to extract local coal is hanging in the balance since 2005. Experts are of the view that a policy is not necessary for extracting coal. Had the government wished it could have extracted local coal under the Mine and Minerals Act 1968 (revised), they said.
The Energy Division official said, "We are going to discuss the survey report. Already we have started working on Boropukuria coal mine. To extract coal under open-pit mining we have already conducted a survey and submitted its primary report."
"It is heartening that the government has hinted at approving the coal policy draft. Earlier, it formed a Coal Policy Review Committee, and asked the body to finalise it. Upon review the committee submitted the draft but the government is yet to approve it," said a committee member.
The draft coal policy says that the country does not have enough reserves of gas to produce the required amount of power it will need in the immediate future.