There is some relief for Maharashtra on the electricity front. The Union coal ministry has agreed to allot two captive mining blocks to Mahagenco in Orissa.
NEW DELHI: There is some relief for Maharashtra on the electricity front. To tide over a peak demand shortage of more than 4,000 mw, the Union coal ministry has agreed to allot two captive mining blocks to Mahagenco in Orissa.
Officials said Maharashtra in return agreed to let Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd have six smaller blocks in its territory. These blocks were allotted to KPCL more than two years back. Officials said the Maharashtra government was not willing to let Karnataka have coal since the state was itself facing a “power shortage”.
The peace was brokered last week at a meeting attended by Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, minister of state in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chauhan, minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao and Maharashtra minister of energy Dilip Valse Patil.
Mahagenco would have claim to 60 per cent coal in the two Orissa blocks, Macchhakata and Mahanadi. The two blocks are estimated to have extractable reserves of 750 million tonne (mt). The remaining 40 per cent coal would go to Gujarat Electricity Board.
Officials said Maharashtra’s 60 per cent share could sustain generation of about 3,000 mw. Besides the allocation of the coal blocks, Rao indicated during the meeting that Parli thermal power station II (1x250 MW), Paras TPS-II (1x250 MW) and Khaperkheda TPS Extension Project (1x500 mt) in Maharashtra would be given long-term coal linkages this month.
Bhusawal, Chandrapur Expansion and Koradi Expansion power projects would be given coal linkages after ascertaining coal availability from respective coal companies, said officials. Rao also assured Patil that necessary coal would be made available to the power utilities in the state to augment power generation.
The meeting also comes as a relief for Karnataka which could now hope to get Maharashtra government go-ahead for six blocks, Baranj one to four, Killoni and Manormadeep. Officials said the six smaller blocks could yield about 80 mt coal. “We told the Maharashtra government that since their requirement was much larger, they should let the Karnataka company mine the coal,” said an official.
The pending allocation of blocks by the Maharashtra government was also setting a precedent for other state governments. Some states have already started raising the pitch for not letting other states mine minerals in their territory, said an official.
Power full
Maharashtra gets two blocks in Orissa
Will get coal linkages for three power plants
In return, Karnataka to get 6 small blocks in Maharashtra
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