BHOPAL: While Uttar Pradesh has said 'no' to import of coal to prevent further increase in cost of power by Rs 1 per unit, Madhya Pradesh government has, however, already started importing a whopping 7.5 lakh metric tonne of coal. The move is bound to increase the cost of electricity in MP and the already burdened people will have to shell out atleast Rs 1 for each unit they use.
The rise in the power cost will be in the form of tariff due to high production cost using imported coal. The increase will be transferred to consumers by discoms citing 'fuel cost adjustments' (FCA). Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Ltd (MP Genco) has already invited tenders for importing 7.5 lakh metric tonne of coal. As per the estimates in the tender documents, the imported coal will be worth Rs 976 crore. As such, estimated cost of coal per metric tonne will be Rs 13,000 to Rs 14,000. Insiders, however, say that the cost per metric tonne of coal could be anywhere from Rs 18000 to Rs20000 per metric tonne.
