FE reported that the strike by Coal India Limited’s Central Coalfields Limited’s transporters has started affecting coal supplies to different thermal plants run by the Punjab State Electricity Board at a time when Punjab needs additional power supplies in view of paddy sowing.

As per norms adopted by thermal plants, the stock position should be comfortable for 30 days. However, only 13 days coal stock was available at Lehra Mohabbat Thermal plant. Similarly, the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal plant at Bathinda had stock that will last 20 days and Ropar Thermal plant had stocks for 17 days.

PSEB sources confirmed that the coal stock position at most thermal plants of northern region was bad as coal stocks have entered into the critical zone. On its part PSEB chairman Mr YS Ratra has taken up the issue with concerned quarters of ministries of coal and power and various subsidiaries of CIL for supplying coal as per the allotted linkages for improving coal stocks at its thermal plants.

Even the Central Electricity Authority has expressed its concern about the low coal stock at most of the thermal power stations in the northern region. Total all India Coal Stock at the power stations has gone down from 14.2 million tonnes in the beginning of the year to less than 9 million tonnes in the first week of June 2008.