Crucible Swelling Number - Controversial?
HOW do you find whether the coal imported is coking coal or non-coking coal? There is an interesting story.
As you can see from the Explanation to Sl. No. 122 of Notification No. 12/2012-Cus, "Coking coal" means coal having mean reflectance of more than 0.60 and Swelling Index or Crucible Swelling Number of 1 and above. This definition was not there in the predecessor notification 21/2002-Cus for quite a long time. In 2010, the Vizag Customs had issued instructions that Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) should be more than 3 to be considered as coking coal.
By Notification 21/2011-Cus dated 1.3.2011, the Notification was amended to stipulate that "Coking coal" means coal having mean reflectance of more than 0.85 and Swelling Index Number of more than 2.
By notification No. 31/2011-Cusdated 24.3.2011, a new entry 66A was inserted which exempted Coal having Swelling Index or Crucible Swelling Number of 1 and above and mean reflectance of above 0.60, for use in the manufacture of iron or steel using Corex, Finex or PCI technology.
Notification No. 77/2011-Cus dated 17.8.2011 changed this:
(i) S.No. 66A and the entries relating thereto shall be omitted.
(ii) in S. No. 68, in column (3), in Explanation, for the figures and words "0.85 and Swelling Index or Crucible Swelling Number of more than 2" the figures and words "0.60 and Swelling Index or Crucible Swelling Number of more than 1" shall be substituted.
This was followed by a corrigendum dated 25.8.2011, which said, for the words and figure "more than 1", read" 1 and above".
To sum up:
1. Prior to 1.3.2011, there was no definition of coking coal, though Vizag Customs insisted on a Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) of more than 3.
2. From 1.3.2011 to 16.8.2011 - coking coal should have Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) of more than 2.
3. From 17.8.2011 to 24.8.2011 Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) had to be more than 1.
4. From 25.8.2011 the Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) has to be 1 and above.
In five months, the Crucible Swelling Number (CSN) had come down from ‘more than 3' to ‘more than 2' to ‘more than 1' to ‘1 and above'.!It doesn't require Rocket Science to understand the black colour of coal - indigenous or imported. Every thing seems to be black including the money involved!