Coal Ministry has blamed thermal power utilities for their coal shortage, saying they are unable to offtake coal kept by coal companies to meet their production needs. The ministry has asked them to lift their allocated coal to avoid reaching critical coal stock position.

“We have 47 million tonnes of coal ready for the power companies. It is they who should be willing to offtake it for their use. We cannot be blamed for their inability to do the same. My ministry is determined to provide them the needed quantity of coal for their assured production,” minister of state for coal Santosh Bagrodia told The Indian Express.

He said that last month the ministry had invited the power companies to offtake 15 million tonnes of coal from the pitheads of the coal companies but barely 5 million tonnes were taken by them. “This clearly indicates that they are unable to lift their share of coal,” he said.

The ministry had asked the power companies to ensure a coal stock of at least 21 days for meeting any exigency, but their current coal stock is of of barely seven days.

By the end of 11th Plan, the demand for coal would be around 732 MT from the present 466 MT per annum, in order to meet the 2 million MW target. Currently, the annual incremental growth of production of coal was 6 to 7 per cent, which needed to be increased to 10 to 2 per cent, Bagrodia said.

... contd.