E-Paper
Coal influx from Mahanadi Coalfields to Punjab: Centre agrees to waive rail-sea-rail condition for coal supply
The Union government has agreed to waive off the mandatory RSR (Rail-Sea-Rail) condition for coal supply from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) in Punjab.
The Union government has agreed to waive off the mandatory RSR (Rail-Sea-Rail) condition for coal supply from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) in Punjab.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who called on the Union power minister RK Singh at his office in Delhi on Monday disclosed this while thanking the union minister for waiving off the mandatory condition.
Mann had raised this issue with the power minister during a meeting on December 9, last year. He said that the Union minister had apprised him that as far as transport of coal is concerned, the Centre does not specify any particular route or port and transport is entirely the responsibility of the concerned states or power generators adding that additional coal can be allotted to Punjab from MCL and if Punjab can transport it through any other mode, it is permitted.
The CM also urged RK Singh to augment supply of coal from Pachhwara Coal mine. He said that the case for enhancing coal supply from the mine is pending with the ministry of coal and the power ministry has forwarded the case to the ministry of coal with recommendations.
The matter is reportedly referred by ministry of coal to ministry of law for legal vetting, informed the CM, adding that he sought the intervention of Union power minister for expediting the matter.
The CM also urged RK Singh to ask Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for procurement of 3,000 MW of Renewable Energy-Round the Clock (RE-RTC) power for the state. He said that the PSPCL had communicated its in-principle approval to SECI in August 2022 to procure 3000 MW of RE-RTC power.
According to Mann, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have complementarity in power demand and SECI was working on a joint proposal.
However, the CM said that due to non-finalisation of the standard bidding document, SECI has not been able to proceed further so Mann sought union minister’s forward intervention.
Demanding allocation of power from Coal Based Central Sector Generating Stations (CGS) to PSPCL, Mann apprised RK Singh that there has been sharp increase in power demand since January due to scanty winter rainfall. He said that it is also expected that the trend of sharp rise in demand shall also continue during the harvesting season in fiscal year 2023-24, adding that the state had met a peak power demand of 14,300 MW during the last paddy season.
Mann said that this year, peak power demand of the state is expected to touch 15,500 MW. Therefore, he said that in order to meet demand in excess of 15,000 MW and to meet the additional requirement necessitated by paddy, the state needs assistance from the ministry of power for allocating power from its unallocated pool. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has already taken up the matter with the ministry.
