Delhi Takes Aim at Uttar Pradesh for a Decade‑Long Stagnation of Its Captive Coal Mine

The Ministry of Coal on Thursday opened a fresh scolding of Uttar Pradesh, pointing out that the state’s captive coal mine in Jharkhand – the Saharpur‑Jamarpani block – has been sitting idle for more than ten years. Allotted to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) back in August 2015, the mine, which holds over 973 million tonnes of coal, was meant to feed the state’s thermal power stations.

“More than a decade has passed and we see no tangible progress on the ground,” the ministry said, blaming a “lack of requisite initiative” by UPRVUNL. In the meantime, Coal India Ltd (CIL) has had to step in, shuffling coal to keep the power plants running.

It isn’t just a bureaucratic hiccup, the ministry warned. The state’s dependence on external coal threatens its long‑term fuel security, especially when other captive blocks allotted after Saharpur‑Jamarpani have already begun production. The centre urged Uttar Pradesh to move swiftly, develop the mine and reduce its reliance on CIL.

That said, the government also tried to calm any panic about a looming coal crunch. As of September 15, none of UPRVUNL’s plants were in the “critical‑stock” category. In fact, coal inventories rose from 7.25 lakh tonnes on September 1 to 8.41 lakh tonnes two weeks later, outpacing daily consumption.

“CIL has been supplying roughly 17‑18 rakes a day to UP’s plants and even offered extra coal under the road/RCR mode on September 3,” the ministry noted. However, it also flagged lingering logistical snarls – rail‑unloading bottlenecks and occasional rake‑placement restrictions – that curb the smooth flow of coal.

Complicating the picture, the current‑month plant load factor hovered around a modest 48 percent despite the stock build‑up. The ministry was quick to say lower generation cannot be pinned on coal scarcity; the issue lies more with operational constraints at the generating stations.

In short, the centre’s message was clear: Uttar Pradesh must sort out its own operational glitches, fast‑track the Saharpur‑Jamarpani project and secure a steady fuel pipeline for its power fleet.