Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and drew his attention to some significant issues concerning the State relating to Union Ministries of Power, Coal, Environment & Forests, Mines, and Finance which have remained pending for quite some time.
Mr. Patnaik impressed upon Mr. Modi that the pending matters may have far reaching implications for coal production, power generation, industrial growth, employment generation and rural livelihoods and above all on equitable sharing of resources.
According to an official release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, while thanking the Union government for allocating Baitarani West Coal Block to the Odisha Mining Corporation, Mr. Patnaik urged Mr. Modi to consider resolving other pending issues at the earliest.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the Odisha Coal and Power Limited (OCPL) requires a bridge linkage of 16.68 million tonnes of coal from 2017-18 to 2020-21 to meet the gap between power plant commissioning and coal production from the allocated Manoharpur and Dip-side Manoharpur Coal Blocks.
In addition, Mr. Patnaik requested Mr. Modi to allocate an alternative coal block to Odisha Thermal Power Corporation (OTPC) in lieu of Tentuloi Coal Block. He suggested that the Tentuloi Coal Block be replaced by any of the three blocks -- Baitarani East, Karadabahal or Brahmanibill coal blocks.
He told Mr. Modi that the earmarking of most of the coal blocks of Odisha for power sector would adversely affect the mineral-based industries and the revenue benefits of the State. He impressed upon the Prime Minister to allocate Patrapada and Nuagaon Teli Sahi coal blocks to Odisha Mining Corporation for commercial mining and sale of coal to non-regulated sector and to earmark at least nine coal blocks for the non-regulated sector through auction.
Mr. Patnaik also told Mr. Modi that the Union Government is giving preferential treatment to Central Government and Central Government Undertakings in raising compensatory afforestation on degraded forest land. The said dispensation, he mentioned, is presently not available to the projects of the State government and State government undertakings.
