The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today approved formation of a ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The panel is to sort out environmental issues hurting coal production. The decision comes in the backdrop of ever widening demand-supply gap in Coal. Highly placed official sources said that the GoM has been asked to give its report in two months. It will also finalise the recommendations which will include issues like — efficacy and legality of forest clearance norms, damage to environment due to projects and afforestation steps. The panel will also suggest whether changes are required in the existing laws and provisions.The members of the panel include Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma, Mines Minister Dinsha Patel, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma among others. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Transport Minister C P Joshi and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia are also the members of the groupConcerned over coal shortages faced by various sectors including the power, the PM has already asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to revisit the policy of no-go and go areas.