JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot will meet the CM of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Bhagel, in Raipur on Friday on the supply of coal for the power plants in the state. Rajasthan is mainly dependent on Chhattisgarh for the coal required for the production of thermal power plants.
The Centre had allotted 15 MTPA coal blocks at Parsa East-Kanta Basan (PEKB) in Chhattisgarh and 5 MTPA capacity at Parsa for 4340 MW power generation units to Rajasthan The first phase of Parsa East-Kanta Basan coal block has been exhausted this month and coal will no longer be supplied to Rajasthan from here which could lead to coal shortage leading to power crisis.
The Union ministry of forest, environment and climate change and ministry of coal has given necessary approvals for the supply of coal to Rajasthan from Parsa Coal Block. Now in the second phase, the approval related to the forest is under consideration of the Chhattisgarh government. Most of the land area of Rajasthan is desert where neither hydro-power nor coal is available for power generation. In this context, the high officials of Rajasthan were in touch with the officials of Chhattisgarh and CM Ashok Gehlot also had talks with Baghel. TNN
