Raipur,(Chhattisgarh) March 25. Chief Minister Mr Ashok Gehlot has urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Mr Bhupesh Baghel to issue an approval for mining in the extension phase of Parsa East-Kanta Basan (PEKB) coal block for smooth supply of coal to Rajasthan.
Mr Gehlot reached Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh on Friday and met Shri Baghel on this issue. He apprised Shri Baghel about the possible situation of the energy crisis in Rajasthan due to the shortage of coal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDqhHGQiJik
The Chief Minister, in the
meeting with the Chhattisgarh government on this subject, said that Rajasthan
is located at the tail end of the western part of the country. Most of the land
here is desert, where neither hydropower nor coal is available for generating
power. He said that Rajasthan’s thermal units of around 4340Mw are dependent on
Chhattisgarh for the supply of coal.
Mr Gehlot
said that the Government of India for these units in Rajasthan had allocated
coal blocks of 15MTPA capacity in PEKB and of 5MTPA capacity in Parsa in
Chhattisgarh in 2015. He said that the first phase of mining in the PEKB coal
block has been completed this month. After this month, coal cannot be supplied
from here to the power generation units in Rajasthan, due to which there can be
a power crisis in the State. He said that he has come to Chhattisgarh with
great hope on behalf of the people of Rajasthan and it is necessary to get
timely help from Chhattisgarh. “I hope that the Chhattisgarh Government will
take a decision soon to save Rajasthan from the energy crisis,” he added.
Mr Gehlot
said that environment-related concerns of Chhattisgarh are natural, but coal
blocks have been allotted to Rajasthan only after proper assessment by the
Centre and competent approval has been issued by the concerned ministries. In
such a situation, the Chhattisgarh government should take an appropriate
positive decision on this subject at the earliest looking at the environment
conservation and needs of Rajasthan.
Chhattisgarh
Chief Minister Mr Baghel assured that due action is being taken for the
supply of coal to Rajasthan keeping in view the needs of Rajasthan.
Further action will be taken with positive thinking as per the environmental
protection, local interests and rules. There has been continuous correspondence
with the Centre and Government of Rajasthan on this subject, but for the first
time, Chief Minister of any State has personally come to Chhattisgarh on this
subject in the interest of his State.
Minister of
State for Energy Mr Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Additional Chief Secretary Energy Mr Subodh Agarwal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr Kuldeep Ranka
and Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam CMD Mr RK Sharma were also present on this
occasion. On behalf of the Chhattisgarh Government Forest Minister Mr Mohammad Akbar, Chief Secretary Mr Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary Mr Subrat Sahu, Forest Department Principal Secretary Mr Manoj Kumar
Pingua, Mines Department Secretary Mr Siddharth Komal Pardesi and Energy
Secretary Mr Ankit Anand were present.
