LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, April 28: There is no coal crisis, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi told this during a meeting with government officials at the Project Bhawan secretariat in Ranchi.
He said there is a perception that power plants have a stock of only 10 days but this is wrong. “Coal is being produced regularly,” Joshi said before he chalked out a strategy to ensure a timely supply of coal in adequate quantity to power plants in Jharkhand.
During the meeting, a brief discussion also took place on the Rajmahal project. He said he had a meeting with the secretary of the chief minister on the issue and during the meeting, it was planned the problem will be sorted out with mutual cooperation and understanding.
Replying to a query regarding the shortage of coal, Joshi said it was due to an increase in the price of imported coal and a change in the state economy. He said production of coal has risen to 3.5 billion tons from 3.3 billion tons but with this demand for coal has also increased.
Presenting a figure, Joshi said out of the total production at present 21.22 million tons of coal is at power plants whereas 72 million tons of coal is with Coal India and others.