The Centre has raised concerns over Uttar Pradesh’s delay in starting operations at its captive coal block in Jharkhand, stating that no significant progress has been made since the mine was allotted in 2015.
The coal ministry said the delay has resulted in Coal India Ltd (CIL) continuing to supply coal to meet the fuel requirements of Uttar Pradesh’s thermal power plants.
As per a report by Moneycontrol, the ministry has asked Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) to take immediate steps to develop the Saharpur-Jamarpani coal block.
Coal block delay increases dependence on CIL
Located in Dumka district of Jharkhand, the Saharpur-Jamarpani mine has reserves exceeding 973 million tonnes. It was allocated to UPRVUNL on August 13, 2015, to provide a dedicated fuel source for the state’s power generation facilities.
“More than ten years since the allotment, no progress has been made towards operationalisation of the block, on account of a lack of requisite initiative by UPRVUNL,” the ministry said.
The ministry noted that 14 other coal blocks allotted for captive power sector use after Saharpur-Jamarpani have already started production.
The Centre has advised Uttar Pradesh to accelerate development of the mine to reduce dependence on external coal supplies and strengthen long-term fuel security.
Coal availability remains stable, says ministry
The government clarified that Uttar Pradesh’s thermal plants are not facing any critical coal shortage. Coal stocks at UPRVUNL facilities increased from 7.25 lakh tonnes on September 1 to 8.41 lakh tonnes by September 15.
The ministry said CIL supplied an average of around 17.7 rakes daily to UPRVUNL plants over the past 10 days and also offered additional coal through road and rail-cum-road modes.
However, operational issues, including unloading constraints at some plants, have affected coal movement and limited further supply expansion.
The ministry said the lower power generation levels at UPRVUNL plants could not be linked to coal shortages, as plant load factor remained around 48% despite sufficient stock availability.
It advised the state to resolve operational challenges and ensure better utilisation of available coal resources.
