PMO panel on power meets to address sector's woes

The first meeting of the Pulok Chaterji panel of secretaries to sort out issues that impact the power sector took place today.

The meeting at the PMO was attended by secretaries of various ministries and according to sources some decisions were taken in-principle to sort out the pending matters including getting Coal India to sign new coal supply pacts with power producers. CNBC-TV18's Rituparna Bhuyan reports.
"Issues of coal shortage and environment were discussed... It was a review of the power sector," sources said after the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar and Power Secretary P Uma Shankar, among others. Sources said the meeting discussed stranded power projects in want of forest and environment clearances and the shortage of fuel, including coal.
The Prime Minister had constituted the CoS after top industrialists, including Ratan Tata of Tata Power, Anil Ambani of Reliance Power, Anil Agarwal of Sterlite Energy, Prasant Ruia of Essar Power, Gautam Adani of Adani Power and Ashok Hinduja of Hinduja Group, highlighted the power sector's woes in a meeting on January 18.
The power sector is facing a serious crisis due to shortfalls in the supply of fuel (both coal and natural gas). Construction of a number of power plants has been completed, but they have not been commissioned due to non-availability of fuel. In the January 18 meeting, the Prime Minister had assured the delegation that "practical, pragmatic and viable solutions" would be found to the problems facing the power sector.
The country is facing an acute coal shortage estimated at 137 million tonnes this fiscal. Meanwhile, the Coal Ministry has asked states to send proposals for clearance of coal blocks that were either rejected by the Environment Ministry on account of falling in no mining zone or have been pending without delay. With inputs from PTI