THE coal ministry on Wednesday sanctioned coal linkages to public and private companies for generation of 17,910 mw electricity, taking the total approval to more than the capacity addition target in power sector during the 11th Five-Year Plan. The latest allocations will see Punjab getting supplies for 3,000 mw of power while Haryana will get supplies for 1,320 mw. The other major gainers from the coal ministry’s move include Uttar Pradesh (5,610 mw), Chhattisgarh (2,220 mw), Orissa (2,010 mw), Andhra Pradesh (1,370 mw) and West Bengal (2,240 mw). Karnataka has been granted 500 mw while Himachal Pradesh will get 300 mw. Talwandi Sabo TPS (1,800 mw) and Nabha Power Extension (1,200 mw) in Punjab and Jhajjhar TPS Expansion (1,320 mw) has got the letters of assurance (LoA) from the ministry on Wednesday. “My ministry has taken advance action so that public and private power companies can endeavour to meet the generation targets during the current plan,” Minister of State for Coal Mr Dasari Narayana Rao said. The government aims at adding fresh thermal power generation capacity of 52,909 mw during 2007-12. With the issuing of LoA, a total of 62,282 mw capacity has been assured fuel provision. “Besides ensuring supply through linkages to coal PSUs, a large number of coal blocks have also been allotted to power plants for captive mining. Coal PSUs are committed to supply about 275 million tons of their produce under linkages to various power utilities,” he said. Those thermal projects given LoA include Uttar Pradesh-based Bara Thermal Power Station (TPS) of 1,980 mw, 1,320 mw-Karchana TPS, Anpara D TPS and Kobra TPS of 500 mw each and Rihand Super TPS of 500 mw of NTPC. Others include Rayalaseema TPS Unit-5 (1800 mw) and Unit-VI of APGENCO besides Simhadri Super TPS Stage-III in Andhra Pradesh, Mr Rao said. LoA has also been sanctioned for Marwah TPS (1,000 mw) in Chhattisgarh. Besides, coal linkage through LoA has also been okayed for Raghunathpur TPS (500 mw) of Damodar Valley Corporation, Durgapur TPS (300 mw) of Durgapur Projects Limited in West Bengal. Moreover, LoA has also been sanctioned for Bellary TPS Unit-II 500 mw in Karnataka. In addition, the ministry also approved coal supply for 13 independent power producers having total capacity of 5,120 mw in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, the minister said. “As far as securing coal linkage for growing capacities is concerned, we are doing our best and it is important to ensure that these projects fructify. We are committed to do the best in ensuring coal supply for helping in more power generation,” Mr Rao added.