Raj power plants to get 10 coal rakes per day from NCL, SECL

Jaipur: To overcome the present coal shortage due to mining constraints from Parsa East and Kante Basan (PEKB) coal mines and to provide adequate coal to thermal power plants of Rajasthan, Rajasthan Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Principal Secretary, Energy Department Bhaskar A Sawant, Chairman and Managing Director of Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam RK Sharma and Additional Chief Engineer (Fuel) Devendra Shringi held a meeting with with Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Coal Secretary Anil Jain and other officers in New Delhi. In the meeting, it was agreed to increase three coal rakes from NCL, SECL and MCL to Rajasthan in view of the shortfall in the availability of coal. Now the power stations of the state will get 6 coal rakes per day from NCL and 4 coal rakes per day from SECL and the supply of coal rakes currently being received from MCL will also be increased.

Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi asked the Rajasthan Government to ensure the arrangement of coal transport by Rail Sea Rail Route (RSR mode) also to increase offtake of coal from MCL so that the problem of traffic congestion in rail route can be dealt with. The Coal Minister directed Railway representatives to divert railway rakes as per the demand of the Generation Corporation so that all the power stations of Rajasthan get coal as per the requirement. The Union Coal Minister stressed upon Raj government to start PEKB mines soon after holding talks with Chhattisgarh govt. Later during the day, Bhanwar Singh Bhati along with Bhaskar A Sawant and RK Sharma also called upon the Union Power Minister, RK Singh. Singh said, “ Steps have been taken in view of coal shortage. Every possible effort will be made to supply coal based on ‘Rail- ShipRail Mode.’