Pachwara mines: Punjab CM calls Jharkhand counterpart to resolve issues face by local transporters
Patiala: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann held a telephone conversation with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to resolve the issue of local transporters of Pachwara coal mines. According to sources, Bhagwant Mann has asked Hemant Soren to use his influence to solve this matter. The dispute between Mines Developer and Operator (MDO) Dilip Buildcon Limited (DBL) and local vendors of Pakur's Pachwara Central Coal Block has been going on for the last 21 days.
The officials of the company and the defaulters and vendors of the district have been met 4 times for its settlement but no solution has come out. The company is sticking to its policy of non-payment of dues and single vendor system.
In fact, the Pachwara Central Coal Block has been completely shut down for 21 days. Coal worth Rs 300 crore is yet to be procured. Due to the attitude of the company, the Jharkhand government is also losing revenue of about 50 lakh rupees daily.
DBL handed over the work order to a single company, Jai Maa Tara Enterprises, due to which there is huge opposition among the vendors. Coal transportation started smoothly on December 2 after the transporters gave a written promise to pay the dues of 8 years ago, during which around 40 thousand tons of coal were transported by local vendors for 18 days and 9 coal racks were sent to Punjab. After 21 days, DBL Company said that the work would be awarded to Jai Maa Tara Enterprises, Dhanbad. This agitated the vendors and from December 19 mining and transportation of coal was stopped.
On the other hand, despite the closure of government offices in Punjab, the electricity demand remained at a record 8690 MW. The demand for electricity in Punjab is continuously increasing. Despite almost all government offices remaining closed on Saturday, the demand for electricity has been recorded at 8690 MW. While last year during this period, the demand was recorded at 6175 MW. That is, 2515 mega watt has been registered in the demand for electricity. On the other hand, it is a matter of some relief for Powercom that one unit of Ropar Power Thermal Plant generating 210 MW of electricity and one unit of Talwandi Sabo of 660 MW have been restarted.
- With inputs from our correspondent
