Scindia gets an earful from states

Odisha energy min Arun Kumar Sahoo blamed the 'inefficiency' of CIL for stranded power capacity in the state

A majority of state governments raised issues over availability of coal for power plants and delays in clearances for hydro projects in a meeting with Union power minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday.

The issues included lack of allocation of adequate reserves and linkages from the domestic monopoly miner, Coal India (CIL), for state power utilities.

Odisha energy minister Arun Kumar Sahoo blamed the “inefficiency” of CIL for his state’s plight. Rajasthan asked the power ministry’s support for early allocation of coal blocks and grant of long-term linkages for its 1,320-Mw project at Banswara. Bihar’s Bijendra Prasad Yadav asked for allocation for the 1,980-Mw Nabinagar-II project.

Gujarat’s minister for energy and petrochemicals, Saurabh Patel, complained of lack of investments impacting the overall development of the power sector.

"The present generation resources are not being utilised to the fullest extent and at the same time, the country as a whole, is facing peaking power shortage," he said.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked the Centre for co-operation in developing 9,000 Mw of hydro power projects in the state.

Scindia said his ministry was trying to ensure early development of 40,000 Mw of hydro power capacity, adding an Empowered Group of Ministers was likely to be set up soon to take up the issue of 95 hydro projects awaiting clearances.