Maharashtra to import coal to tide over load shedding crisis: Ajit Pawar

Pune, Apr 22 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said that in order to tide over the current load shedding crisis in the state, the government has decided to import coal to some extent from outside the country for power generation.

He also said that efforts were on to get one coal mine in Chhattisgarh allocated to the power department in Maharashtra.

Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said the supply of coal was not being done in the country the way it should be.

"Load shedding is going on in the state. A meeting was held on this issue by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. I will take a review of the power department every week on the issue of load shedding and the cabinet has given its approval to check whether there is any availability of power in the country," he said.

Efforts are being made to do away with load shedding and to ensure smooth power supply in the state, the senior NCP leader said.

"Coal supply to several states is insufficient. Maharashtra is also not getting enough supply and that is why we have taken a decision to import coal to some extent from outside the country. Besides that, efforts are being made to get one coal mine allocated for Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (Mahagenco)...Energy Minister Nitin Raut is working on it," Pawar added.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also asked the Chattishgarh government which is of a similar ideology, to allocate one coal mine to Maharashtra, he said.

Replying to a question whether the BJP-led Centre was indulging in vendetta politics by not providing coal to Maharashtra, Pawar said the supply of coal to various states was not happening the way it should be done.

"There are issues of railway wagons. Today, railway wagons are needed to transport coal, sugar, wheat and other essential commodities, which need to be taken to the ports. I do not want to bring any politics into it. I do not want to make that kind of allegation, but it is a fact that there is a shortage of coal," the deputy chief minister said.

Last week, minister Nitin Raut had said that load shedding in the state was a result of increase in electricity demand relaxation of the COVID-19 curbs, and blamed the Centre for poor management of coal supply.