Rajasthan takes-up coal supply issues with PM: Seeks coal linkage, MoEF clearance for 3 XIIth Plan TPPs

Reiterating the Government of Rajasthan's (GoR) demand for an expeditious grant of long-term coal supplies to three super-critical technology-based thermal power projects (TPP) in Rajasthan, the chief minister (CM) of the state, Ashok Gehlot, has called on the Prime Minister (PM), Dr Manmohan Singh, to intervene and ensure that the state's long-pending appeal is considered by the Ministry of Coal (MoC) as a priority. In a recently-written letter to Dr Singh, the CM has claimed that as the state is largely dependent on coal for meeting its growing power demands, the viability of the Chhabra and Suratgarh Extension projects, along with that of Kawai and Banswara TPPs, depend on the allocation of coal linkage to meet their fuel requirements. The CM has also requested the PM's Office (PMO) to direct the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to expeditiously accord environment clearance to these projects, rather than delaying it for want of fuel-arrangements for the projects. 

Pertinently, the state government has been pursuing this coal-supply demand for quite some time now. While the GoR has applied for the grant of long-term coal linkage of 6.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to each of the Surtagarh and Chhabra Extension projects in February 2009, the state government had also demanded 6.4 MTPA of coal for the Banswara project, in April 2009. Further, the GoR called for the allocation of the Chhattabahar coal block, under the command area of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, for the Banswara project in July 2009. Again, the Rajasthan Government filed an application with the MoC for grant of long-term coal linkage to Suratgarh Extension and Banswara TPPs, along with Kalisindh Extension project, in January 2010. The GoR has also been seeking the allocation of the Kente Extension coal block, located in the Hasdeo-Arand Coalfield in Chhattisgarh, since August 2009, to, partly, meet the coal requirements of the Chhabra Extension (Stage-II, Suratgarh Extension and Kawai TPPs. The state government has even requested the union power ministry to endorse the demand of the state to the MoC so for a quick hearing on the issue. These three TPPs are worth a cumulative power generation capacity of 3,960 MW, along with an investment totaling Rs 24,000 crore.