By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 1, 2022: An industry body has sought the intervention of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in resolving the coal shortage faced by captive power plants in the state.

The shortage caused by curtailment of coal supplies since August 2021 was a threat to the survival of the local industry, leading to loss of a large number of jobs, Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd (UCCI) said.

Industries that rely on captive power plants (CPP) in Odisha are facing alarmingly depleted coal stocks of only two-three days as compared to the prescribed level of 15 days, it said in a letter to Patnaik.

Over 65 per cent of the coal in Odisha is being supplied by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) to power plants in other states, resulting in local industries facing coal deficit, it claimed, urging the Chief Minister to take steps to bring normalcy.

The ‘acute’ coal shortage due to the diversion of the supply has brought down the CPP-based industries, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to a grinding halt, resulting in increased prices of finished products, the letter said.

This can lead to job losses of over 10 lakh people and loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore, it added.