Centre blames states’ dues for coal shortage
NEW DELHI: Union minister RK Singh on Thursday blamed states for electricity outages in some parts of the country amid rising power demand in the face of an uncharacteristic heatwave, saying the problems were not due to shortage of coal but because of non-payment dues to Coal India Limited , delay in lifting coal, and “improper planning”.
India on Thursday met a record peak power demand of 204.653 GW — the highest the country has ever met (overall) — according to the power ministry, which has projected the demand to further peak at about 215GW in the coming months.
Asked about the quantum of electricity shortage, Singh said that in April, 70 million units of peak power demand could not be met across the country, up from 14 million units in March.
“Power shortages are primarily happening because states have not paid their dues to CIL or they have been unable to lift coal on time which has been allotted to them or because of wrong planning by them in general. Then there are also instanthat ces wherein discoms do not buy power from the exchange and simply resort to load shedding,” Singh said. His comments came at a time when the Centre and Opposition-ruled states are sparring over high prices.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said: “Coal-rich states such as Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha have been financially deprived because the Modi government amended old laws that entitled states to royalty on coal.”
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said Coal India and its subsidiaries owed more than ₹1 lakh crore to Jharkhand. “On one hand, the PM asks states to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel and does not clear state’s funds. Maximum transporation of coal happens through rail freight but the state does not get GST share for it. The CM had recently written to the Centre putting forth the state’s demand to clear outstanding dues of Coal India... If
The blind policy of the Modi govt is responsible for the nationwide coal crisis SUKHENDU SEKHAR ROY, TMC RAJYA SABHA MEMBER
is not cleared, we will stop supply,” he said. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin too wrote to PM Modi urging him to direct the coal ministry to supply the state 72,000 MT coal per day.