According to the Federation of Coal Consumers Dealers and Traders of West Bengal, till 1993, Coal India used to assess the requirements of the industry and provide linkage and sponsorship of railway wagons. However, since then it has transferred the responsibility of assessment and sponsorship onto the state government. The federation has more than 30 organisations of coal users and 2,000 independent members affiliated to it.

The secretary of the federation, Subrata Banerjee told The Financial Express that the directorate of small and cottage industry of the state government is responsible for providing sponsorship to the small consumers in the state. However, he claims that of the 1,400 linked consumers in the state as of April 15, only 630 have received the sponsorship. The restis caught up in bureaucratic hurdles.

In an order dated March 20, 1998 (cmp/6/98) the Office of the Executive Director (railway movement) of the Railway Board stated that consequent to the newly amended PT Schedule "it has been decided that CIL and all its subsidiary companies ie ECL, BCCL, CCL, WCL, MCL, SECL, NCL may be authorised to sponsor all grades of decontrolled non-coking coal and coal sold under LSS and coking coal including hard coke and soft coke..."However Coal India has not taken up the responsibility of sponsorship in the state. Banerjee said "It is following different rules for different states. Following an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the effect that after the deregulation the state will not be the sponsoring authority it has taken up sponsoring in Punjab."

Sources confirm that the CIL chairman P K Sengupta has expressed the inability to take up sponsoring to the minister for coal Dilip Ray during his visit to Calcutta, citing inadequacy of infrastructure andcorruption as reasons. Banerjee says "CIL has the best infrastructure as well as the technical people needed for the assessment of requirement of coal. It used to perform the function till 1993 and the infrastructure cannot simply vanish from the scene."

The Federation has meanwhile enlisted the support of Mamata Banerjee in its effort to get the CIL to take up the work of assessment and sponsorship. The federation urged the Trinamul Congress leader to take up the issue at the appropriate level.