Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has asked the Chhattisgarh chief minister, Bhupesh Baghel, to expedite the approval for mining the coal block allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (RVUN) for smooth supply of coal to the desert state.
Gehlot reached Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur on Friday and met Baghel about the potential energy crisis looming large due to shortage of coal.
Gehlot, in a meeting held with the Chhattisgarh government, said Rajasthan was located at the extreme end of the western part of the country.
Most part of the state is desert where there is neither availability of hydropower nor coal for electricity. He said that Rajasthan’s thermal units have a capacity of 4,340 MW which are mainly dependent on Chhattisgarh for coal supply.
Gehlot said the Centre had allotted 15 MTPA coal blocks at Parsa East-Kanta Basan (PEKB) in Chhattisgarh and 5 MTPA capacity at Parsa to Rajasthan in the year 2015. He informed that mining in the first phase of the Parsa East-Kanta Basan coal block has been completed in this month. If new coal mines are not approved on time there might be a power crisis in the state.
