Centre to consider Punjab`s demand for more coal

New Delhi: The Coal Ministry Tuesday said it will consider the demands of Punjab government for providing more coal to power plants in the state.

"The Ministry of Coal will consider request of Punjab Government to ensure more coal for its Power Plant," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has informed Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who called on him this afternoon. Badal requested the ministry for temporary linkages or alternative arrangement of coal supply for Goindwal Power Plant which is to be commissioned in March, an official statement said here. The coal block allocated for the power plant is yet to get forestry clearance, it said. The Chief Minister also sought more coal for Rajpura Power Plant and Talwandi Sabo Plant because of increase in their plant capacity. "The Coal Minister said that his Ministry will consider these requests and see how the availability of more coal is ensured," the statement said. The government is making all efforts to increase availability of Coal for the Power Sector, and Coal India has been directed to give top priority to this, it said. Infrastructure and power major GVK Group had earlier informed the Punjab government that the 540 MW Goindwal Sahib thermal power project would commence power generation by March 2013. In a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister, GVK Power and Infrastructure CMD G V K Reddy had said the ongoing work on the GVK Thermal Power Plant at Goindwal Sahib would be completed in the stipulated time period and the plant would start generating power by March 2013. Reddy had also assured the Chief Minister that the company would expand the existing capacity of the project for which a requisite extension in the MoU with the state government would be made soon. Reddy had also apprised the Chief Minister about the problem faced in getting the Coal linkage for the proposed project from the Ministry of Coal. However, Badal had assured that the state government would raise the matter with the Centre in this regard. PTI