The Indian Power Ministry has issued directives to its counterparts in the Coal Ministry and Indian Railways (IR) to give the highest priority to dry fuel supplies to pithead thermal power plants, in light of a trend of lower coal dispatching from Coal India Limited (CIL) and an expected summer spike in electricity demand. The Power Ministry wants State-run coal miners and IR to ensure priority volume supplies and availability of wagons on priority basis, irrespective of volumes contracted between pit-head-based thermal power plant operators and miners.
