No power plant to face coal shortage: Mann

Ropar: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that state has taken leap towards being power surplus as none of the thermal Power plants will face any sort of coal shortage in the state.

The Chief Minister, who welcomed the first coal rake from state's captive Pachwara Mines, said that the day is not far when Punjab will be the lone power surplus state in the country. He said that no power cut was imposed in state during previous paddy season as Punjab produced 83 percent more power from previous years. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that with the resuming of coal supply from Pachwara mine the production will enhance manifolds.

The Chief Minister said that power is the engine of growth and development, due to which his government is focusing on enhancing its generation. He said that it will help in putting the state on high growth trajectory of industrial growth. Bhagwant Mann said that this in turn will help in creating new vistas of employment for the youth. The Chief Minister said that the Pachhwara coal mines were allotted to state but have been closed since 2015. He said that though the matter had been pending in Supreme Court of India but none of the previous governments bothered to get the supply of coal resumed. However, Bhagwant Mann said that after assuming the charge of office his government raised the matter in March 2022 and with proper arbitration the supply of coal has been resumed.