The state government has urged the Centre to provide a coal block to Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) on priority basis as the company is gearing up to expand its power production capacities.
State minister for energy, Arun Kumar Sahu today called on Union coal minister, Sriprakash Jaiswal at New Delhi and pressed for allocation of the coal block to the state PSU.
During the meeting, Sahu pleaded that Odisha has been neglected in allocation of coal blocks even though it possesses nearly 28 per cent of total coal reserves of the country. So far, Odisha has been allocated only 1.26 per cent of coal reserve occurring in the state out of total reserve quantity of 71,447 million tonne.
"Even as 10.77 per cent of coal reserves of the state have been allocated to private companies, 6.38 per cent have been allotted to other state PSUs and 32.15 per cent to Coal India subsidiary Mahanadi Coal Limited," Sahu said.
Citing discriminatory attitude of the Centre in allocation of coal mines to OPGC despite the recommendation of Central Mine Planning and Designing Institute Ltd (CMPDIL), Sahu requested Jaiswal to allocate Chandrabila coal block in Talcher to the company.
Earlier this month, the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on coal at the Centre meted out a raw deal to Odisha, recommending only one out of four new coal blocks in the state in favour of its PSU, Odisha Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (OTPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC).
The Chandrabila block has been proposed for NTPC Ltd while the Kudanali-Luburi coal block has been recommended by IMC for joint allocation to NTPC and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd.
After meeting Odisha minister and other officials, Jaiswal said, "We have assured the minister that we will try to allocate coal block to OPGC on priority basis. I have also said to the committee that Odisha blocks must be given to the state." Earlier this month, the Centre has allotted 14 coal blocks with geological reserves of 8,311 million tonnes to national and state PSUs including four blocks to NTPC.
