Producers to Import 10% Coal to Ease Supply: Report
The move is expected to boost the coal requirements of the producers in one week.
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Amid concerns of shortage of coal at power plants and a rise in demand for power, the Power Ministry on Tuesday, 12 October, allowed producers using domestic coal to import up to 10 percent of their coal requirements, The Indian Express reported quoting sources.
According to the report, the move is expected to boost the coal requirements of the producers in one week.
The move comes as the Centre on Tuesday said that there were no threats to power supply and urged people not to panic. Union Minister of Coal Pralhad Joshi said that Coal India Ltd has “22 days' stock of coal” with it and that Monday, 11 October, saw a record coal supply of 1.94 million tonnes.
Govt Looking to Increase Per Day Domestic Coal Production
Meanwhile, news agency ANI quoted sources to report that the government is looking to increase coal production to 2 million tonnes per day from the current 1.94 million tonnes in a week's time.
Government officials also told ANI that states are yet to pay nearly Rs 20,000 crore as dues to Coal India and that the Coal Ministry has been writing to the states to pick up stocks from Coal India since January but received no response.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday met National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) officials as well as Union Power Minister RK Singh, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi along with officials of Power and Coal Ministry to discuss the matter.
Amid reports of several states facing power outages and raising concerns, the Centre had earlier called the reports of disruption in power supply as "misplaced".
(With inputs from The Indian Exxpress and ANI.)
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