Power producers owe Rs 16,629.41 cr to Coal India for fuel supplies: Govt

Outstanding dues payable by power producers to Coal India for fuel supplies have increased by Rs 3,293.50 crore to Rs 16,629.41 crore since March 31, 2022, Parliament was informed on Monday.

"The outstanding dues payable by power sector for the coal sales by Coal India Ltd (CIL)" were Rs 13,335.91 crore as of March 31 last year, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The figures are provisional.

Further, the minister said that increase in outstanding dues of the coal mining PSUs impacts the working capital and cash flow position of the coal company.

CIL, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production, is a major supplier of dry fuel to electricity generating plants.

Amid the early onset of summer and a pick-up in industrial demand for electricity, CIL had last week said that it is geared up to meet the demand for dry fuel from the power sector.

The public sector coal producer had also expressed its hope to supply 156 million tonnes of coal to the power sector in the April-June quarter of the upcoming financial year.

This would be 25.6 per cent of the enhanced annual dispatch target of 610 million tonnes slated for the sector in 2023-24.