PATIALA :Even as Coal India Limited (CIL), the supplier of coal to power plants, and L&T’s Nabha Power Limited continue to spar over coal shortage, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to the Centre to treat private plants like government plants for the supply of raw material.

Notably, private power plants contribute almost half of power generation of the state. They also sell their entire power generation to the Punjab government with no provision to sell in the market.

As a matter of policy, the coal ministry has preferential allocation earmarked for government-owned plants.

“My aim is to ensure adequate supply in the paddy season. The state government has taken up the matter with the Centre and PSPCL director (generation) SK Puri has also met coal ministry officials, to bail out private plants from the coal crisis,” said Baldev Singh Sran, chairman-cum-managing director, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

He added coal had started arriving for private thermal plants, while governmentowned plants had stock for almost a month. “The problem of coal supplies will be resolved only when the coal ministry starts allocating coal to the L&T Plant by treating it as a government plant. The government has written on this to the Centre. Private plants give their entire generation to the state,” he added.

OTHER STEPS BEING TAKEN

Apart from this request, the Punjab government has also approached the coal ministry to allocate the dedicated coal linkage of Bathinda and the two units of Ropar Thermal plant, which are now closed, to private plants of Punjab, for this summer season.

The PSPCL has also allowed L&T’s Nabha Power Limited (1,400 MW) and Talwandi Sabo Power Plant (1,920 MW) to import five lakh tonne coal. “The PSPCL has allowed three lakh tonne import of coal to the Talwandi Sabo plant, while the L&T Plant can import 2 lakh tonne of coal. This is necessary to build stock to meet power demand in August and September, when demand hits a peak,” Sran added.

NABHA PLANT STARTS OPERATIONS Meanwhile, the L&T Nabha Plant has started full operations by reigniting its second unit. “Twenty eight rakes of coal reached our plant in one week. More stock is on its way. We now have stock of five days and have thus started full operations. This has been possible due to the Punjab government’s efforts in taking up the matter with the Centre,” said Athar Shahab, chief executive officer, Nabha Power Limited.

On CIL claims that the plant has failed to lift coal stock within the stipulated time, Shahab added, “The plant had made advance payment of coal. There were glitches in loading and movement of coal through rail.