Advisory group on power, coal to submit report by Oct 31

The Group was given the task of analysing and suggesting measures to address various hurdles in the power and coal sectors

The Advisory Group, set up under former Power Minister Suresh Prabhu to suggest ways to enhance growth and address regulatory issues in the coal and power sectors, will submit its report to the government by the month end.

"The Advisory Group was given the task of analysing and suggesting measures to address various hurdles in the power and coal sectors," a senior official told PTI.

The issues include enhancing growth of the coal sector, addressing railway bottlenecks impacting the transportation of the fuel and providing solutions for 24x7 electricity supply.

As per the latest official data, 61 thermal power stations, out of the total 103 projects, are grappling with critical coal shortage with less than a week's stock at their disposal.

Prabhu was appointed head of this committee in July. The other members of the group are -- former Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha, former Home Secretary Anil Baijal and former Coal India Ltd chief Partha Bhattacharya.

Prabhu has also served as the Industry Minister, Minister of Environment and Forests, and Minister of Fertilizers & Chemicals in the previous NDA regime.

According to sources, the group is also likely to soon finalise new methodology for auction of non-operating coal blocks which were cancelled by the Supreme Court.

The Ministry of Coal had said that the policy of coal mines auction and methodology was being revisited by the group.

The apex court had on September 24 quashed the allocation of 214 coal blocks from 1993 to 2010 to various companies saying that they were alloted in an illegal and arbitrary manner and the process was "fatally flawed".