UNION MIN: GOVT WON’T CANCEL COAL BLOCK ALLOCATION TO RAJ

Jaipur: Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said that the Chhattisgarh government has requested for cancellation of the allocation of coal blocks to Rajasthan but the government has refused to do so. He said that he has spoken to Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan CMs and is looking forward to resolving the issue and getting the mining activities resumed so that Raj continues to get 11 rakes of coal from there. “A resolution from the Chhattisgarh government has come for getting the mine allotted to Rajasthan in Chhattisgarh cancelled, but we have allotted to Rajasthan under a process, therefore we are not cancelling it,” Joshi told reporters here. Earlier, speaking at a programme of MoU signing between Coal India Ltd and Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam ltd (RUVNL) for setting up a 1,190 MW solar plant in Bikaner, Joshi said that the central government has laid special emphasis on promoting renewable energy generation. Along with this, by adopting new technology, the government is also working towards producing electricity from coal without pollution. Joshi said that per capita electricity consumption in the country will almost double by 2040 and to meet future needs, there is a need to pay special attention to electricity generation from renewable sources.

CM Ashok Gehlot said that the state has huge potential for solar power and asserted that factories to manufacture equipment used in setting up solar plants should be set up in the state so that employment opportunities should also be created along with the generation of energy. The MoU was signed for setting up 1,190 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district. Coal India ltd will set up the plant which is scheduled to be completed in two years. The solar plant will be set up in a 2000 mw solar park in Poogal, Bikaner. The CMD of RVUNL R K Sharma and Coal India Limited’s Technical Director V Reddy signed the MoU in the presence of Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi and and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.