Addressing the power crisis in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that the state’s electricity issues are about to be resolved. He explained that a coal shortage had arisen due to floodwaters entering coal mines in Jharkhand, which impacted power generation across the entire country.
Punjab was not spared from this situation, but the path to ensuring coal availability has now been cleared.
The Chief Minister mentioned that he had discussed the matter with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. He plans to visit Ranchi in a few days to meet Soren personally and express his gratitude.
He noted that coal sourced from Jharkhand’s Pachwara mine could previously only be used in government-run thermal plants, leaving Punjab’s two private thermal plants unable to access coal under that arrangement. Mann stated that the Punjab government had requested Coal India to supply coal to the private thermal plants as well, a request to which Coal India agreed. Necessary local-level approvals from the Jharkhand government have also been secured. Consequently, all five of Punjab’s thermal plants will receive adequate coal supplies in the coming days.
The Chief Minister stated that increased coal availability would help restart idle power generation units and normalize the electricity situation in the state. He clarified that the crisis was not limited to any single state; rather, coal supplies nationwide were affected by the flooding in Jharkhand’s mines.
**Targeting Manpreet Badal**
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also commented on former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. He remarked that Manpreet Badal should stick to a single party, noting the proliferation of political parties these days. He questioned which party Manpreet Badal is currently affiliated with.
