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Acute shortage of coal at thermal plants, CM appeals to Centre for coal supply

  • Chief Minister met Union Energy Minister RK Singh and appealed to him to release coal entitled for the state 
  • He also requested to distribute the State’s share of coal from the coal mines at Odisha 
  • The power transfer charges have been hiked by three times in the last three months and the public are being burdened by it
Acute shortage of coal to thermal plants CM appeals to Centre for coal supply

The thermal power plants at Ballari and Raichuru are facing acute coal shortage with not even a day’s stock available. Hence, the Chief Minister met Union Energy Minister RK Singh and appealed to him to release coal entitled for the state, as per the regulations stipulated, reports Kannada Prabha.

Along with it, he also requested to distribute the State’s share of coal from the coal mines at Odisha. The power transfer fee imposed on states for interstate transfer is very high and is burdensome to the State, hence the fee should be reduced, he requested.

The thermal plants in the State had made an agreement with Western Coalfield Limited (WCL), Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd (MCL) and Singaeri Collieries Company (SCCL). In the first six months of the current year MCL and ACCL have supplied the sanctioned 26.70 lakh tons of coal. But WCL has supplied only 49 per cent of the allotted 11.63 lakh tonnes.  Hence, coal stock is completely over in both the thermal plants. In the next six months both the plants require 70.83 lakh tonne coal. Hence CM requested for supply of coal.

Also the WCL must supply the coal quantity allocated and the remaining quantity. In the next 6 months WCL must supply additional 6 lakh tonnes extra. SCCL Company must supply 45 lakh raw coal to Ballari Thermal plant. The Centre must also distribute State’s share from Ghorlapalli coal mines in Odisha. The State had submitted an application in 2016 itself but it has not been sanctioned till now, he said.

The power transfer charges have been hiked by three times in the last three months and the public are facing the burden of it. Hence he requested to reduce the rates. According to the 3rd amendment to CERC Rules 2010, the power transfer fee is hiked by treble. The State Government had paid a sum of Rs 45.31 crores for April 2015. In Aug 2017, the State had to pay Rs 237.19 crores.  All the southern states combined have paid Rs 622 crores, of which the State’s share is Rs 237.19 crore. Hence State has paid 38.11 per cent of the entire southern states. This has become a burden on the consumers. Hence, it should be looked into and resolved, he appealed.

 

 

 

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