Centre pulls up states over pending dues to gencos, coal producer
UNION MINSTER RK SINGH ALSO ASKED STATES TO LIFT THE COAL ALLOTTED TO THEM ON TIME OR FACE CUTS IN ALLOCATION
NEW DELHI: Anticipating a demand-supply problem that could trigger a power crisis during the upcoming monsoon season when coal dispatches slow down, the power ministry on Thursday wrote to several states over pending dues to generation companies and the Coal India Limited (CIL), the country’s largest coal producer.
Union power minster RK Singh also wrote separately to states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal and Karnataka to lift the coal allotted to them on time or face cuts in allocation.
“CIL has offered 0.53 MT [million tonnes] of coal through RCR (rail-cum-road) mode to UPRVUNL (Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited), against which, UPRVUNL has lifted only 0.18 MT so far and 0.36 MT is still un-lifted in RCR mode… I would request you to direct the concerned in UPRVUNL to take immediate steps to place order for import of coal for blending and also to lift entire coal offered under RCR mode in order to meet the coal requirement...” states Singh’s letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
A copy was seen by HT.
“If they fail on either account, it would not be possible to give additional domestic coal to make up the shortfall. If the RCR coal is not lifted, it will be taken back and allocated to other needy state gencos,” Singh wrote.
Similar letters were sent to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Karnataka counterpart Basavaraj Bommai over their respective allocations.
The letters asking several states/uts to settle dues with generating companies and CIL were written by power secretary Alok Kumar.
“The inability of the utilities to pay for legitimate dues against electricity dispatched and the coal received is increasing the electricity supply side concerns to unprecedented levels. The pending dues have been a matter of grave concern. This is posing a threat to reliable power supply. The concern has been reiterated in separate letters...” said a power ministry official.