UP's 973-mt captive coal block remains idle 11 years after allotment: Govt

The Coal Ministry has asked Uttar Pradesh to expedite development of the Saharpur Jamarpani block, saying UPRVUNL has made no progress towards operationalising the mine

The Ministry of Coal has asked Uttar Pradesh to expedite development of its 973-million-tonne Saharpur Jamarpani captive coal block in Jharkhand, saying the mine has remained non-operational for more than a decade despite being allotted to the state power utility specifically to meet the fuel requirements of its thermal power plants.

The Saharpur Jamarpani block, located in Dumka district, was allotted to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) on August 13, 2015, under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

“More than ten years since the allotment, no progress has been made towards operationalisation of the block, on account of a lack of requisite initiative by UPRVUNL,” the Coal Ministry said in a statement. As a result, the entire coal requirement of Uttar Pradesh's power plants continues to be met by Coal India Ltd (CIL), the ministry added.

The ministry said 14 other coal blocks allotted for captive use in the power sector on or after the allotment of Saharpur Jamarpani have already been operationalised and commenced production for their respective end-use plants.

The intervention comes amid recent media reports of a severe power shortage in Uttar Pradesh attributed to disruption in coal supplies. The ministry, however, said coal availability at UPRVUNL's thermal power plants did not indicate a critical constraint.