No power pangs due to coal crisis in Punjab: Centre

Chandigarh, June 20

Punjab will not face any problem in its power supply during the paddy season due to coal shortage at its thermal power plants. This assurance was given by Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Coal, Government of India, to officials of the state government, during an interaction held on the sidelines of a conference held at Mohali.

Punjab, like the rest of the country, is facing a shortage of coal at its thermal power plants. Most of the plants are unable to maintain the required buffer stocks of coal. With an intense heat wave witnessed in the region, between March to May, the power demand had shot up substantially, forcing the state to run its thermal power plants. As a result, the coal stocks in the state have depleted before the paddy season.

Sources said during the meeting with state officials, the Secretary also assessed the demand for coal in the coming three months.

To meet the rising demand, the transmission capacity to procure from outside the state has already been enhanced to 8,500 MW as against 7,100 MW in the last season.