The government has no plans to set up an Independent pricing authority for coal. This was stated by Piyush Goyal, minister of state for power, coal & new and renewable energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Giving reasons, the minister stated that the pricing of coal has been fully deregulated by the government vide the Colliery Control Order, 2000 dated Jan. 1, 2000 in supersession of the Colliery Control Order, 1945.

Under the said order, the coal companies themselves fix the coal price based on input costs, inflation index, market trends etc. and notify the same periodically, the minister added.