Centre reviews coal stocks in States

New Delhi: Following reports of dip in coal supplies in the country, senior officials from New Delhi enquired about the coal availability in the mines of Telangana, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Following reports on decline in coal supplies, senior officials from the Union Ministry of Coal have been holding video conferences regularly with officials in Telangana and other States on the situation. A senior official of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), which supplies coal to the neighbouring and other States, described it as a routine review.

Out of daily production of 1.80 metric tonnes of coal, 1.50 metric tonnes was supplied to the power plants, which entered into agreement with the SCCL, the official said. Apart from supplying coal to all thermal power plants and one belonging to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Telangana, the SCCL is supplying coal to AP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Power has observed that some States were



imposing load shedding in some areas and selling power at high price.

In a circular to all States, Union Territories, all Discoms, CMDs of Central Generating Stations, the Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, Devashis Bose, asked the States to use unallocated power and ensure power supply to the consumers.

In case of surplus power, the States were requested to intimate so that this can be reallocated to other needy States. If any State was found selling power in power exchange or not scheduling unallocated power, their unallocated power may be temporarily reduced or withdrawn and reallocated to other States which are in need, he said.

As per guidelines for allocation of power, 15 per cent power from the Central Generating Stations (CGs) is kept under “unallocated power” which is allocated by the Central Government to the needy States. At present, the demand from coal based power plants has increased, he added.