The power ministry on Monday pulled up NTPC for its slow development work in allocated captive mines, which led the coal ministry to cancel allocation last year.
?NTPC should speed up coal production from the coal blocks re-allocated to it by the coal ministry,? power secretary P Uma Shankar said here. He was addressing NTPC?s conference on operation and maintenance (O&M) of power plant.
NTPC has been allocated captive mines such as Chatti Bariatu, Chatti Bariatu (S), Kerandari, Brahmani and Chichiro Patsimal to meet fuel requirements of its power plants. However, the central utility has been slow in undertaking development work. The delay led the coal ministry last year to cancel allocation of these blocks.
Although allocation of the cancelled coal blocks has been restored following an intervention from the power ministry, the central sector generator must show due progress in its mining work if it wants to retain these blocks.
?Some of NTPC?s coal mines were de-allocated… now they have been re-allocated, they should do something to increase production from those blocks. They should put best financial resources to develop those mines, that should be an important strategy to ensure fuel security,? the power secretary added.
However, NTPC maintains that the development work has been on the slow lane due to difficulties in getting environmental clearance and acquiring required land.