New Delhi: The coal crisis in the country has given rise to a power struggle between the two Congress-ruled states. Rajasthan RajasthanThe Chhattisgarh government, which has faced widespread blackouts over fuel shortages at its power stations in recent months, has knocked on the doors of the Centre, saying the Chhattisgarh government plans to start two coal blocks and increase production from two other mines. is stopping.
Despite repeated requests for approval from Chhattisgarh Forest Department, no hearing was held, Additional Chief Secretary, Rajasthan Subodh Agarwal has sought the intervention of Coal and Power Secretaries Anil Jain and Alok Kumar respectively.
In separate letters to Jain and Kumar, Agarwal The Center has stressed on the need of the Government of Chhattisgarh to take necessary prompt action to start/increase the production from the mines to ensure the energy security of Rajasthan.
Agarwal’s letter comes after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s letter to his Chhattisgarh counterpart and party colleague Bhupesh Baghel In October last year. “I would like to apprise you that Rajasthan has invested more than Rs 40,000 crore in thermal power stations set up in the state. Gehlot had told Baghel in a letter in October last year that these coal blocks meet most of the coal requirements of the current as well as the upcoming RRVUNL (Genco) power stations and are essential to ensure fuel security (of Rajasthan).
The blocks under consideration are, Parsa, Parsa East, Kanta Basano, and Kante Extension in Surguja district of Chhattisgarh. Three of these blocks were allotted to Rajasthan in 2015 to boost generation capacity to 4,340 MW. Situated in the Hasdeo Arand forest area, the block and mine have been in the eye of protests from tribals, who protested mining activity in the area in October.
Agarwal says the Chhattisgarh Forest Department did not give the necessary permissions to start the Parsa block – with an estimated production capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum – even after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as per Stage-II forest clearance on October 21 Is. ,
For the Kanta East and Kanta Basan mines, Agarwal says the state administration is yet to make necessary amendments in the forest clearance to hand over the 1,136 hectares of land approved by the Union green ministry. The additional land is estimated to increase production from both mines by 40% from 15 million tonnes to 21 million tonnes per year.
For the Kante Extension block with an estimated production of nine million tonnes annually, Agarwal says the Center needs to get the district magistrate of Sarjuguda to hold the necessary public hearing for approval.
Rajasthan witnessed blackouts in September and October due to shortage of coal. Distribution utilities were forced to increase electricity rates by 33 paise per unit for the next three months as the cost of sourcing excess coal from the market and power demand from exchanges rose due to a fall in demand and production across the country. .
Rajasthan already has one of the costliest electricity rates in the country and the state is facing challenges to keep its electricity affordable for its tourism sector. Power Generation Utility Rajasthan State Electricity Generation corporation limited State officials, on the condition of anonymity, said that due to insufficient coal supply from (RRVUNL) Coal India Ltd, it is becoming difficult to meet the peak demand of 14,000 MW of the state.
Despite repeated requests for approval from Chhattisgarh Forest Department, no hearing was held, Additional Chief Secretary, Rajasthan Subodh Agarwal has sought the intervention of Coal and Power Secretaries Anil Jain and Alok Kumar respectively.
In separate letters to Jain and Kumar, Agarwal The Center has stressed on the need of the Government of Chhattisgarh to take necessary prompt action to start/increase the production from the mines to ensure the energy security of Rajasthan.
Agarwal’s letter comes after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s letter to his Chhattisgarh counterpart and party colleague Bhupesh Baghel In October last year. “I would like to apprise you that Rajasthan has invested more than Rs 40,000 crore in thermal power stations set up in the state. Gehlot had told Baghel in a letter in October last year that these coal blocks meet most of the coal requirements of the current as well as the upcoming RRVUNL (Genco) power stations and are essential to ensure fuel security (of Rajasthan).
The blocks under consideration are, Parsa, Parsa East, Kanta Basano, and Kante Extension in Surguja district of Chhattisgarh. Three of these blocks were allotted to Rajasthan in 2015 to boost generation capacity to 4,340 MW. Situated in the Hasdeo Arand forest area, the block and mine have been in the eye of protests from tribals, who protested mining activity in the area in October.
Agarwal says the Chhattisgarh Forest Department did not give the necessary permissions to start the Parsa block – with an estimated production capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum – even after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as per Stage-II forest clearance on October 21 Is. ,
For the Kanta East and Kanta Basan mines, Agarwal says the state administration is yet to make necessary amendments in the forest clearance to hand over the 1,136 hectares of land approved by the Union green ministry. The additional land is estimated to increase production from both mines by 40% from 15 million tonnes to 21 million tonnes per year.
For the Kante Extension block with an estimated production of nine million tonnes annually, Agarwal says the Center needs to get the district magistrate of Sarjuguda to hold the necessary public hearing for approval.
Rajasthan witnessed blackouts in September and October due to shortage of coal. Distribution utilities were forced to increase electricity rates by 33 paise per unit for the next three months as the cost of sourcing excess coal from the market and power demand from exchanges rose due to a fall in demand and production across the country. .
Rajasthan already has one of the costliest electricity rates in the country and the state is facing challenges to keep its electricity affordable for its tourism sector. Power Generation Utility Rajasthan State Electricity Generation corporation limited State officials, on the condition of anonymity, said that due to insufficient coal supply from (RRVUNL) Coal India Ltd, it is becoming difficult to meet the peak demand of 14,000 MW of the state.
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