NEW DELHI : The Union Ministry of Power on Saturday said that the domestic coal supply to power generation companies will be in proportion to the coal received from Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL).
The ministry has issued a circular for taking timely action for adequate coal availability for power generation.
"As per decision taken in the Ministry of Power in consultation with state gencos, IPPs and central gencos, the domestic coal supply to all gencos will be in proportion to the coal received from CIL/SCCL for all the gencos and it will not be possible to give more coal other than on proportionate basis to make up any shortfall," said a statement from the ministry.
It said that the ministry has been monitoring the coal supply situation in the country and have been taking steps to ensure adequate coal supply and coal stocks based on the domestic coal received from CIL, SCCL and captive coal mines.
The ministry said that production in captive coal mines allotted to power plants may be maximised to the limit permitted.
It has been reported that a number of power plants are taking much longer time than the prescribed norms in unloading coal from railway rakes which is affecting the turn-around time, the ministry said.
CEA has been asked to monitor the unloading time at power plants and it has been decided that lesser number of rakes would be made available to such power plants where there is slackness in prompt unloading of coal from rakes, ti said, adding that, the step has been taken with the objective of maximizing the utilization of available railway rakes.
"Therefore, this aspect may be monitored at the level of state government and unloading of coal may be ensured within the given norms," it said.
It also observed that a number of generating companies have overdues of coal companies running in several hundred crores of rupees and such huge overdue amounts affect the ability of coal companies to continue coal supply.
"It is necessary that the bills of coal companies are paid in due time so that coal supplies to such generating companies are not affected on this account," it said.
