The Hindu Business Line : Coal supply: TN seeks PM's help

THE Tamil Nadu Government has sought the Prime Minister's intervention to step up coal supply to the four thermal power stations of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to prevent a breakdown in power generation.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms Jayalalithaa, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, expressed concern over the low stocks of coal in the power stations. The stock at the four thermal stations, which consume 145 lakh tonnes of coal a year, was down to a six days' requirement against the safe level of 21 days' stock.

Since it has to be transported from the mines in West Bengal and Orissa by a rail-cum-sea-cum-rail link, the coal is stocked up to tide over unanticipated delays.

In January, the thermal stations had enough coal to meet a 17 days' requirement but the decline has now led to a "hand to mouth situation." The thermal stations face a `stock out', which could result in the stations not being able to meet the power demand. This can cause a major breakdown, according to the letter, the text of which was released to the press on Saturday. The Chief Minister sought the urgent intervention of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to ensure better supplies of coal and improved availability at the pithead by stepping up production performance at the mines.

Coal is supplied by the Central Public Sector Enterprises, the Eastern Coalfields Ltd, West Bengal, and the Mahanadhi Coalfields Ltd, Orissa. It is allotted on a quarterly basis by the Central Government's Standing Linkage Committee comprising the members of the Ministries of Coal, Railways and Power. Between January and June, they supplied 70 lakh tonnes against a linkage of 82.95 lakh tonnes. The allocation in July was 11.55 lakh tonnes but the thermal stations received only 10.31 lakh tonnes, and in August and September, they received 9.20 lakh tonnes as on August 28, against an allocation of 12.55 lakh tonnes a month, the letter said.

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