Industry body seeks Odisha CM’s intervention in resolving coal shortage

An industry body has sought the intervention of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in resolving the "acute" coal shortage faced by captive power plants in the state.

The Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd (UCCI) said the paucity due to curtailment of coal supplies since August was a threat to the survival of the local industry, leading to loss of lakhs of jobs.

"Industries that rely on captive power plants (CPP) in Odisha are facing alarmingly depleted coal stocks of only two-three days as compared to the prescribed level of 15 days," UCCI president Brahma Mishra said.

Over 65 per cent of the coal in Odisha is being supplied by the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) to power plants in other states, resulting in local industries facing coal deficit, Mishra said in a letter to Patnaik, urging him to take steps to bring normalcy.

"The acute coal shortage due to the diversion of the supply has brought down the CPP-based industries, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to a grinding halt, resulting in increased prices of finished products," he said.

This can lead to job losses of over 10 lakh people and loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore, the letter added.