BHUBANESWAR: With no respite in sight to the ongoing coal crisis that continues to affect the survival of local industries, the Odisha Assembly of Small and Medium Enterprises (OASME) has urged the State government to resolve the issue.
After the Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) Ltd, the OASME has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his intervention to avert the impending crisis and help sustain industry operations.
The shortage, a result of the intermittent coal supplies to captive power plants (CPPs) based industries in Odisha, has threatened the viability of industries that form the backbone of the State’s MSMEs and provide employment to lakhs.
Secretary general of OASME Satwik Swain said that despite the government efforts to support the industry, the continuing coal shortage due to stopping or curtailment of coal supplies and rakes has threatened the very survival of local industries.
The CPP-based industries which are heavily dependent on coal are unable to run smoothly due to the crisis. The CPPs are getting 40 to 50 pc of the required coal supplies since August 2021, creating a backlog of over 1,500 coal rakes, as most of the available coal rakes are being diverted away from CPPs.
“Prompt action needed to be taken for the immediate resumption of coal and rake supplies from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited to help meet 100 pc coal requirement of the local CPP-based industries,” he added.