Lok Sabha Question No. 2717 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-10
Subject: Shortage of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Gurjeet Singh Aujla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2717 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2021

## Shortage of Coal

## 2717.  SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

## Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government of Punjab is to be compensated for the costs incurred to buy  power  from  National  Grid  as  blockade  of  inbound  trains  carrying  essentials supplies like coal caused shortage of coal to power thermal plants in Punjab and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Union Government will take cognizance of the fact that blackouts in several  regions  of  Punjab  due  to  shortage  of  coal  caused  severe  damages  to livelihoods of rural inhabitants and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  the  stoppage  of essential  supplies  of  Coal  in  future  amidst  disagreements  between  Centre  and State?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES

## (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): As  per  the  provisions  of  the  Fuel  Supply  Agreement,  the  responsibility  of transportation  of  coal  is  with  the  coal  consumer.  The  ownership  of  coal  is transferred to the concerned power plants after dispatch of coal from the loading point  of  the  coal  companies.  CIL  has  continuously  persuaded  the  linked  power plants of Punjab to increase the coal intake and build up sufficient stock at their end. However, the power plants of Punjab regulated their coal intake for the first two quarters of the current fiscal.

(b): The details of the coal stock at the power plants of Punjab before and after the blockade are as per the table below:

| Name of the Power Plant   | 24.09.2020   | 24.09.2020   | 23.11.2020   | 23.11.2020   | 01.12.2020   | 01.12.2020   | 28.02.2021   | 28.02.2021   |
|---------------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| Name of the Power Plant   | 000 Tonnes   | In days      | 000 Tonnes   | In days      | 000 Tonnes   | In days      | 000 Tonnes   | In days      |
| Lehra Mohabbat            | 41.38        | 3            | 19.14        | 2            | 27.65        | 3            | 44.24        | 5            |
| Goindwal Sahib            | 25.48        | 4            | 0.18         | 0            | 105.42       | 22           | 255.92       | 53           |
| Nabha Power Rajpura       | 199.43       | 11           | 3.68         | 0            | 120.90       | 10           | 514.94       | 31           |
| Ropar TPS                 | 92.62        | 10           | 64.35        | 8            | 64.04        | 8            | 66.2         | 9            |
| Talwandi Sabo TPP         | 188.58       | 8            | 7.65         | 0            | 173.16       | 11           | 178.18       | 8            |

| Total Stock of Punjab Power plants   | 547.49   | 8   | 95   | 2   | 491.17   | 10   | 1059.48   | 18   |
|--------------------------------------|----------|-----|------|-----|----------|------|-----------|------|

At present, there is no issue in coal supply to the Punjab based power plants and they  are  carrying  a  comfortable  coal  stock  at  their  end.   The power  requirement details of Punjab for the current fiscal indicate that there was no shortage of power and  the  demand  was  fully  met  in  Punjab.  The  details  are  as  mentioned  below:

Power Supply Position during 2020-21 (Upto January 2021) : Punjab

|                              | Energy Details   | Energy Details   | Energy Details   | Energy Details   | Peak Details   | Peak Details   | Peak Details    | Peak Details    |
|------------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Year                         | Energy Required  | Energy Available | Surplus/Deficit  | Surplus/Deficit  | Peak Demand    | Demand Met     | Surplus/Deficit | Surplus/Deficit |
|                              | MU               | MU               | MU               | %                | MW             | MW             | MW              | %               |
| Apr-20                       | 2,287            | 2,287            | 0                | 0.0              | 5,113          | 5,113          | 0               | 0.0             |
| May-20                       | 4,032            | 4,032            | 0                | 0.0              | 8,201          | 8,201          | 0               | 0.0             |
| Jun-20                       | 6,676            | 6,676            | 0                | 0.0              | 12,683         | 12,683         | 0               | 0.0             |
| Jul-20                       | 7,390            | 7,390            | 0                | 0.0              | 13,148         | 13,148         | 0               | 0.0             |
| Aug-20                       | 7,527            | 7,527            | 0                | 0.0              | 12,815         | 12,815         | 0               | 0.0             |
| Sep-20                       | 7,264            | 7,264            | 0                | 0.0              | 12,433         | 12,433         | 0               | 0.0             |
| Oct-20                       | 4,704            | 4,702            | 2                | 0.1              | 8,940          | 8,940          | 0               | 0.0             |
| Nov-20                       | 3,210            | 3,167            | 43               | 1.3              | 6,002          | 6,002          | 0               | 0.0             |
| Dec-20                       | 3,850            | 3,847            | 3                | 0.1              | 6,707          | 6,707          | 0               | 0.0             |
| Jan-21                       | 3,853            | 3,849            | 4                | 0.1              | 7,017          | 7,017          | 0               | 0.0             |
| Cumulative (Upto Jan.- 2021) | 50,793           | 50,741           | -52              | -0.1             | 13,148         | 13,148         | 0               | 0.0             |

(c): To review infrastructure constraints and coal stock at power plants Sub Group meetings are being held regularly in Ministry of Coal with representative of Ministry of  Power,  Central  electricity  Authority  (CEA),  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL),  Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL), Ministry of Railways (MoR) and Power Consumers.

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