Coal Ministry Urges Uttar Pradesh to Expedite Captive Coal Block Development; CIL Committed to Meeting State's Coal Needs
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Ministry of Coal has urged Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Generation Corporation Limited (UPRVUNL) to expedite the development of its allocated Saharpur Jamarpani captive coal block in Dumka, Jharkhand, which holds over 973 million tonnes of reserves under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.
- Despite coal allocations remaining operational for CIL, UPRVUNL's thermal power plants currently operate at a low Plant Load Factor (PLF) of approximately 48% alongside local unloading bottlenecks, rather than facing actual raw material shortfalls.
- Coal India Limited (CIL) maintains stable dispatches to Uttar Pradesh power plants, increasing local coal stocks from 7.25 lakh tonnes to 8.41 lakh tonnes with an average daily receipt of 0.90 lakh tonnes surpassing daily consumption.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
The Saharpur Jamarpani captive coal block, containing over 973 million tonnes of coal reserves, is situated in Dumka district, Jharkhand, and was allocated under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Analyze the structural bottlenecks facing state thermal power generation utilities in India, focusing on captive block underutilization, Plant Load Factor (PLF) inefficiencies, and railway logistics constraints.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to captive coal block allocations and power sector dynamics in India, consider the following statements: 1. The Saharpur Jamarpani captive coal block, allocated to Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Generation Corporation Limited (UPRVUNL), is located in Dumka, Jharkhand. 2. The allocation of the Saharpur Jamarpani block was executed under the statutory framework of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. 3. The low Plant Load Factor (PLF) of UPRVUNL's thermal power plants is primarily attributed to a severe shortfall in raw coal dispatches from Coal India Limited (CIL). Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 2 and 3 only
- [C] 1 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Saharpur Jamarpani captive coal block is located in Dumka, Jharkhand, and was allocated to UPRVUNL under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. Statement 3 is incorrect because Coal India Limited (CIL) has maintained stable dispatches, with average daily receipts exceeding daily consumption. The low Plant Load Factor (PLF) of approximately 48% is accompanied by local unloading bottlenecks rather than actual raw material shortfalls from CIL.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.