The Uttarakhand government has demanded that the Union government should allot a coal block of 125 million tonne capacity to it. This coal block will be used to operate the proposed 1,000 MW pit-head thermal power plant in the State. The request for allotting the coal block was made by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami during his meeting with the Union Coal and Mines minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The CM said that rapid industrial development has taken place in Uttarakhand in recent times due to  a favourable industrial policy. The industrial development has resulted in increased demand for power in the State. The CM said that due to decrease in flow in the rivers of the State in winters and increased demand the condition of power demand becomes critical. He said that the demand for power in the State is increasing at a rate of four to five per cent every year and during lean season (low power production period) there is a shortfall of four to five million units (MU) in a day. The demand for power is likely to increase in future due to increased industrialisation.

Dhami told the Union minister that based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Power a joint venture- THDCIL- UJVNL Energy Limited has been created by including UJVN Limited and THDC India Limited for fast development of power projects in the State. In view of the past experience of the THDC India Limited in the field of thermal power production, a pit head thermal power plant will be established under the joint venture.

Dhami said that Uttarakhand is among the very few States which do not have any thermal power station. The CM requested that one coal block should be allotted to the State on the basis of priority. The Union minister assured that every possible assistance will be given to Uttarakhand.