Peoples’ Commission on Public Sector and Services demands enquiry into coal and power crisis
Bahadurjeet Singh /Rupnagar
Peoples’ Commission on Public Sector and Services (PCPSPS) has demanded that an independent enquiry should be constituted into the coal and power crisis that occurred once during 2021, has enveloped the country during the summer of 2022 and is likely to extend into the monsoon.
EAS Sarma Former secretary to the government of India,who is an active member of PCPSPS, said that this is necessary to bring out the actual reasons for the colossal failure of the coal and power system management and enable corrective action.
This continuing crisis has crippled the economy and caused enormous economic losses, in addition to imposing an undue burden on the already indebted state power utilities.
PCPSPS alleged that the centre is expected to anticipate electricity and coal demand, plan for it, arrange the logistics and ensure that the country is self-reliant in coal supplies. The concerned institutions are under the oversight of the centre. In discharging this responsibility, the centre has apparently failed, which has thrown the country into an unprecedented coal crisis.
PCPSPS said that the centre has allowed the IPPs to import coal and pass on the full coal import cost to the state utilities in deviation of the terms of the existing PPAs, though earlier it is the centre that took umbrage at the states trying to renegotiate regressive PPAs signed with the IPPs in the past, thus overturning its own earlier diktat to suit the interests of the IPP promoters.
Further burning different coals without proper blending could damage the boiler and reduce its useful life. Most power plants do not have the necessary facilities for proper and scientific blending of coal within the station compound,PCPSPS said.
Peoples’ Commission on Public Sector and Public Services (PCPSPS) includes eminent academics, jurists, erstwhile administrators, trade unionists and social activists.
June 3,2022
