Power Engineers seeks PM intervention in Union Power Ministry coal import order

LUCKNOW: The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Tuesday urged PM Narendra Modi to intervene in revoking the Union ministry of Power order to the states asking them to import 10% of the total coal requirement.
The AIPEF sent a letter to the PM after a written reply given by the Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi in the Rajya Sabha on July 25, saying that there is no shortage of coal in the country. Joshi had reportedly noted that coal production has increased by 31%.
AIPEF chairman, Shailendra Dubey said that on December 7, 2021, the Union Ministry of Power advised to import 10% coal. The ministry on April 28 this year, gave a time-bound instruction to the states to import coal immediately and import 50% of its quantity by June 30, 40% by August 31 and the remaining 10% by October 31. The ministry had said that the allocation of domestic coal will be reduced for the states which will not start importing coal by June 15, 2022.