Mystery of the missing coal
The Hindu
Recent revelations by the Electricity Minister that several lakh tonnes of coal had gone missing from power plants in Chennai, Mettur and Thoothukudi have sent shocks across the state. How does so much coal go missing? Whoddunit?
Electricity Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s statement last week on 2.38 lakh tonnes of coal, valued at ₹85 crore, going missing from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited’s (Tangedco) North Chennai power plant and hinting about similar issues in the Mettur and Tuticorin thermal stations has raised quite a few eyebrows. Sources in the Tangedco said the issue actually first came to light when a senior official brought it to the notice of the then Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Bansal about “coal shortage” in the Tuticorin thermal power station. Immediately, a committee was formed to inspect all thermal power stations and prepare a report of the coal loss. But the committee did not take any steps due to the coming Assembly election in the State, they added. With the DMK government assuming power three months ago, the Electricity Minister and current Tangedco chief Rajesh Lakhoni convened a meeting of the committee members and asked them to prepare an initial report. The report contained information on the missing coal, sources said.More Related News