VIJAYAWADA: The State government, which is facing a shortfall of coal due to the unfavourable weather conditions at the coal mines from where it is procuring coal, had decided to explore the possibility of buying coal from Central coalfields like the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. A day after writing letters to the Telangana government to increase coal supply to overcome power shortage in the State and also to the Union Coal Ministry, the AP government officials held talks with the officials of coal ministry in New Delhi on Monday.
Accordingly, it was decided that the Coal India officials will be meeting APGenco officials and railways at Kolkata on Tuesday. “Similarly, the inter-ministerial meeting scheduled with Ministry of Coal, Railways, Power and Coal India Limited with APGENCO officials to tide over the present situation will be held in Delhi on Thursday,” officials said.
It is also proposed to explore possibilities of buying surplus coal available in the mines of Odisha GENCO.“APGenco will also identify private power companies such as Jindal Power in Odisha and buy coal from such companies through the clause that allows private firms to sell 25 per cent of its production in the open market through Coal India,’’ officials said.