हिंदी
Jaipur, March 25. Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot has urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel to issue an approval for mining in the extension phase of Parsa East-Kanta Basan (PEKB) coal block for smooth supply of coal to Rajasthan.
Shri Gehlot reached Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh on Friday and met Shri Baghel on this issue. He apprised Shri Baghel about the possible situation of the energy crisis in Rajasthan due to the shortage of coal. The Chief Minister, in the meeting with the Chhattisgarh government on this subject, said that Rajasthan is located at the tail end of the western part of the country. Most of the land here is desert, where neither hydropower nor coal is available for generating power. He said that Rajasthan’s thermal units of around 4340Mw are dependent on Chhattisgarh for the supply of coal.
Shri Gehlot said that the Government of India for these units in Rajasthan had allocated coal blocks of 15MTPA capacity in PEKB and of 5MTPA capacity in Parsa in Chhattisgarh in 2015. He said that the first phase of mining in the PEKB coal block has been completed this month. After this month, coal cannot be supplied from here to the power generation units in Rajasthan, due to which there can be a power crisis in the State. He said that he has come to Chhattisgarh with great hope on behalf of the people of Rajasthan and it is necessary to get timely help from Chhattisgarh. “I hope that the Chhattisgarh Government will take a decision soon to save Rajasthan from the energy crisis,” he added.
Shri Gehlot said that environment-related concerns of Chhattisgarh are natural, but coal blocks have been allotted to Rajasthan only after proper assessment by the Centre and competent approval has been issued by the concerned ministries. In such a situation, the Chhattisgarh government should take an appropriate positive decision on this subject at the earliest looking at the environment conservation and needs of Rajasthan.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Baghel assured that due action is being taken for the supply of coal to Rajasthan keeping in view the needs of Rajasthan. Further action will be taken with positive thinking as per the environmental protection, local interests and rules. There has been continuous correspondence with the Centre and Government of Rajasthan on this subject, but for the first time, Chief Minister of any State has personally come to Chhattisgarh on this subject in the interest of his State.
Minister of State for Energy Shri Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Additional Chief Secretary Energy Shri Subodh Agarwal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Kuldeep Ranka and Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam CMD Shri RK Sharma were also present on this occasion. On behalf of the Chhattisgarh Government Forest Minister Shri Mohammad Akbar, Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary Shri Subrat Sahu, Forest Department Principal Secretary Shri Manoj Kumar Pingua, Mines Department Secretary Shri Siddharth Komal Pardesi and Energy Secretary Shri Ankit Anand were present.
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