Ensure coal supply, Punjab CM urges Centre

Chandigarh, October 9

Slamming the Centre for inadequate coal supply against the PSPCL’s agreements with various subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday asked it to immediately enhance the state’s coal supply as per the quota to tide over power crisis with an impending shutdown of its thermal plants due to fast depleting coal reserves, which were likely to exhaust within next couple of days.

Reviewing the power situation amid shortage of coal supply in the state, the Chief Minister said all thermal plants were unable to generate full capacity of power due to insufficient coal receipt. However, he reiterated his firm commitment to give power supply for irrigation of paddy crop wherever necessary at the fag end of crop yield. He, however, said power cuts on domestic consumers in cities and villages were being imposed to ensure sufficient supply to the agriculture sector as well as to maintain grid discipline.

Earlier, PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director A Venu Prasad apprised the Chief Minister that thermal plants throughout the country were reeling under coal shortages and supply crisis. Within the state, the Independent Power Producer (IPP) plants are left with less than two days coal i.e. NPL (1.9 days), TSPL (1.3 days), GVK (0.6) days and it is on a decreasing trend as supply by Coal India Ltd is not as per requirement. PSPCL plants i.e. GGSSTP and GHTP also have just two days of coal stock reduction. Coal to all these plants is supplied by various Coal India subsidiaries as per the fuel supply agreements of these plants with them, but presently, the receipt is much below the required level. — TNS