RAIPUR: South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) is supplying only 50 lakh tonnes of coal to steel industries of Chhattisgarh against their demand of 1.50 crore tonnes, creating a gap of 90 lakh tonnes between the demand and supply, said Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in a letter to Union minister of coal Pralhad Joshi following a demand from the steel industries of the state.
Expressing concern that the steel manufacturing sector of Chhattisgarh is going to be in a deep crisis of coal, Baghel said that the SECL's decision to stop the supply of coal in the month of August will adversely affect the state’s economy.
Baghel said that Chhattisgarh’s annual coal production capacity stands at 15 crore tonnes and the state is ranked second in the country in coal production. However, most of the coal produced in Chhattisgarh is sent to other states ignoring the interest of the state which is also one of the leading steel-producing states.
Besides large steel producing units, hundreds of small units are in the steel manufacturing business in the state, Baghel said in the letter and these small units provide a livelihood to lakhs of people.
Baghel said SECL has decided to stop coal supply to the steel producers except for power plants of the state from the month of August due to the coal crisis. It will have an adverse impact on the state’s economy. The decision will certainly force the steel manufacturers to close their industries, leaving lakhs of people jobless.
The chief minister also raised the suspension of passenger train services due to the coal crisis. Baghel urged the union minister for an uninterrupted supply of coal as per the requirement of the steel producers of the state. Baghel said that the union minister should issue directives to the officials of SECL in this regard.
