A three-member team of the Power Ministry visited Coal India-arm MCL to monitor the availability of the dry fuel at various railway sidings and mines, and prepare a plan for logistics to maximise the despatch of fuel to thermal power plants.

The development assumes significance in the wake of efforts being made to avoid the reoccurrence of power outages faced by the country at the beginning of the summer season this year due to the shortage of coal supplies.

The team led by Member Secretary, Eastern Regional Power Committee (ERPC), Ministry of Power, N S Mondal, concluded its three-day visit to Ib Valley and Talcher coalfields on Saturday after their visit to different sidings and pit heads, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) has said in a statement.

The team expressed satisfaction with the availability and quality of coal at MCL and gathered information on evacuation-related matters. According to the statement, the availability of rakes to the sidings needs to be increased as per requirement.

Encouraged by the coal stock availability at MCL, the team has assured to initiate steps for improving rake supply as well as despatch via road and road-cum-rail (RCR) mode. People in many parts of the country faced power outages at the beginning of the summer season this year due to the shortage of coal supplies at various thermal plants.

As monsoon has hit many parts of the country, Coal India chairman Pramod Agrawal has said the state-owned firm is braced up to meet its part of committed coal supplies to the power sector in the coming months.

Stating that the company is targeting to close the first quarter with 35 million tonnes (MTs) of incremental production compared to the same quarter of the last year, he said that the company’s output tempo was progressing in that direction.

Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal output.

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