Badal Meets Union Coal Minister; Seeks Dedicated Coal Linkage For Upcoming Power Plants In State On Priority

Demands Temporary Allocation Of 1.4 Million Tons Of Coal From Coal India For Goindwal Sahib Thermal Plant

5 Dariya News

New Delhi 30-Oct-2012

Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Union Coal Minister  Sriparkash Jaiswal to seek dedicated coal linkage immediately for the upcoming thermal plants at Goindwaal Sahib, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo. The Chief Minister met  Jaiswal in his office here at the Shastri Bhawan this afternoon and apprised him that the GVK Power Limited was constructing thermal Power plant at Goindwal Sahib, the first unit of which was likely to be made operational by May 2013. The project has been allotted Tokisud Coal block in Jharkhand state exclusively, which has been delayed due to some of its area under Forest land.  Badal informed the Union Minister that he had also called up his Jharkhand counterpart  Arjun Munda for getting the transfer of land expedited. In the light of these circumstances the coal supply from the said Coal block was likely to be delayed further and therefore the Chief Minister requested  Jaiswal to direct the Ministry of Coal for providing temporary allocation from the mines of Coal India limited of 1.4 million tons of coal for one year to the project from February 2013 to January 2014.He pointed out that this would ensure that the 540 MW Power plant capacity does not remain idle and the GVK Power limited would return such loaned coal after commencement of Coal production from Tokisud Coal block.  Badal said that early commissioning of the project would ease pressure on the already heavy loaded northern regional grid.Flagging another issue to enhance the sanctioned coal linkage from 1200 MW and 1800 MW by the Ministry of Coal to 1400 MW in case of Rajpura Thermal plant and 1980 MW for Talwandi Sabo Thermal plant, the Chief Minister sought personal intervention of  Jaiswal to resolve this issue at the earliest otherwise the commissioning and power generation of both these plants would be adversely affected.  Badal also told the Union Minister that the Ministry of Power had already approved the installed capacity of 1400 MW and 1980 MW of Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal plants respectively. Responding to the issues raised by  Badal, the Union Minister assured him of positive outcome and said that he would soon convene a special meeting of the senior officers of his ministry and the Coal India limited to amicably resolve all these pending matters to ensure the timely commissioning of these thermal plants in the state.