‘No shortage of coal for power plants in country’

Bilaspur, Oct 13: There is no problem in supply and ensuring sufficient coal in all thermal plants in the country and we are here to fulfill the job given to us by the Energy Ministry. In this there is neither any politics involved, nor I want to do any politics, says Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi while speaking to media persons on his arrival at Bilaspur Airport here on Wednesday.
Union Coal Minister said that he has come to review about mines and its production and SECL is working on the type of information given by them. Denying that there is any type of crisis over coal production, Union Minister said that the Energy Ministry has sent a proposal of demand of 1.9 million tonnes of coal production and at present we are supply around 2 million tonnes of Coal.
To a question on politics over the coal crisis in the country, Joshi said that he has not come here to do any politics, rather has come to see the functioning of mines, production and capacity of mines of SECL and then I would conduct its review. There is no coal crisis in the country and the supply of coal to power plants would continue as per their demand. At present the demand of coal in the country has increased and due to rains excavation of coal from the coal mines is posing problem and therefore such a situation has arised. But now the situation is very much under control, he added.
It is notable here that Coal India’s company SECL operates from total 41 coal mines in Chhattisgarh and it forms 20% of total production in India. From here there is around 150 Lakh MT production of coal annually and from the coal mines of SECL in Korba district, it generates 130 lakh MT of coal.
At the Bilaspur Airport, along with Union Coal Minister, the Chairman Coal India Ltd. Pramod Agrawal also arrived and at the airport both were welcomed by CMD SECL Bilaspur and other senior officials. In addition to this Leader of Opposition in VS Dharamlal Kaushik, LS MP Arun Sav also welcomed the Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi. After the welcome the Union Coal Minister reached SECL’s office and held review meeting with senior officials and after which he left for Ranchi.

Joshi visits Chh’garh amid coal shortages

Amid reports of coal shortage and a possible power crisis, Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi visited Dipka coal mine in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday and urged officials to scale up coal production there.
Pralhad Joshi also took to Twitter to inform about his latest visit to one of India’s largest coal mines. While sharing some pictures from the spot, Pralhad Joshi tweeted: “Visited Dipka coal mine in @secl_cil today. It is one of India’s largest coal mines in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, with a capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum.” Pralhad Joshi said he also interacted with senior officials at the mine and urged them to scale up the production and dispatchment of coal. According to sources, Pralhad Joshi is also expected to visit Ranchi-based coal mines on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel took a jibe at the Centre over Pralhad Joshi’s visit to Korba. He said that while the Centre claims that there is no shortage of coal, the Union minister is visiting Bilaspur to oversee the coal situation.
Bhupesh Baghel said that earlier, the central government continued to reiterate that there was no shortage of oxygen (during the Covid-19 pandemic), and now the same thing is happening with supply of coal.