NEW DELHI, OCT 30
Punjab
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Union Coal Minister
Mr Sriparkash Jaiswal to seek dedicated coal linkage immediately for the
upcoming thermal plants at Goindwaal Sahib, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo.
The
Chief Minister met Mr Jaiswal in his office here at the Shastri Bhawan this
afternoon and apprised him that the GVK Power Limited was constructing thermal
Power plant at Goindwal Sahib, the first unit of which was likely to be made
operational by May 2013. The project has been allotted Tokisud Coal block in
Jharkhand state exclusively, which has been delayed due to some of its area
under Forest land. Mr Badal informed the Union
Minister that he had also called up his Jharkhand counterpart Mr Arjun Munda
for getting the transfer of land expedited. In the light of these circumstances
the coal supply from the said Coal block was likely to be delayed further and
therefore the Chief Minister requested Mr Jaiswal to direct the Ministry of
Coal for providing temporary allocation from the mines of Coal India limited of
1.4 million tons of coal for one year to the project from February 2013 to
January 2014.
He pointed out that
this would ensure that the 540 MW Power plant capacity does not remain idle and
the GVK Power limited would return such loaned coal after commencement of Coal
production from Tokisud Coal block. Mr Badal said that early commissioning of
the project would ease pressure on the already heavy loaded northern regional
grid.
Flagging another issue
to enhance the sanctioned coal linkage from 1200 MW and 1800 MW by the Ministry
of Coal to 1400 MW in case of Rajpura Thermal plant and 1980 MW for Talwandi
Sabo Thermal plant, the Chief Minister sought personal intervention of Mr
Jaiswal to resolve this issue at the earliest otherwise the commissioning and
power generation of both these plants would be adversely affected. Mr Badal
also told the Union Minister that the Ministry of Power had already approved
the installed capacity of 1400 MW and 1980 MW of Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo
thermal plants respectively.
Responding to the
issues raised by Mr Badal, the Union Minister assured him of positive outcome
and said that he would soon convene a special meeting of the senior officers of
his ministry and the Coal India limited to amicably resolve all these pending
matters to ensure the timely commissioning of these thermal plants in the
state.
Earlier, the Chief
Minister also met the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Mr
Jyotiraditya M Scindia this morning in his office at Shram Shakti Bhawan to
update him about the status of these three thermal power plants at Goindwal
Sahib, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo. Mr Badal also informed the Union Minister of
State that the state was committed to complete all these ongoing power projects
within the time frame so that these could be commissioned for generation but
the only difficulty being faced by the state government was in the allocation
of Coal blocks.
Realising the
hardships faced the state government in getting the Coal linkage for its power
plants Mr Scindia promised to the Chief Minister that he would soon take up the
entire issue with the Union Coal Minister to be resolved at his personal level
on the priority so that the Power generation, which was a critical factor for
the overall development of any state should not be hampered in Punjab.
The Chief Minister was
accompanied by his Principal Secretary Mr SK Sandhu, Special Principal
Secretary Mr KJS Cheema, Secretary Power Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Resident
Commissioner Punjab Bhawan Mr K Siva Prasad and Director Generation PSPCL Mr GS
Chhabra. 
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