State of the State Conclave: Indian coal sector handicapped by a ‘scam’ worth Rs 25 lakh crore, says Piyush Goyal

If Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal is to be believed, Indian coal sector is handicapped by a “scam” worth Rs 25 lakh crore. “Forty per cent of our thermal power capacity is dependent on imported coal because the plants are designed that way. They cannot run on Indian coal, though India is the third largest coal producing country. This is costing India Rs 25 lakh crore a year. This is big scam,” Goyal said at the India Today’s Group’s State of the State Conclave held in Jaipur today. The Conclave is a signature India Today event where a special report on various growth indicators of a particular state is released. All the districts in the state are ranked based on various parameters and categories.
Talking about Rajasthan, the union minister praised the Vasundhara Raje government for its work in the power sector. “When Vasundhara Raje took charge of the state in 2013, the state was suffering an annual loss of Rs 15,000 crore in power sector. In barely three years, she brought the loss down to Rs 5,200 crore. I’m sure by next year, the state will make profit and will make it to a case study by Harvard University,” Goyal said. The Union minister expressed hope that Rajasthan’s solar power potential may drive the vehicles of future in the country. He also justified high GST tax rate on hybrid cars saying that this has been done keeping in view of introducing electric cars in the country by 2030. Elaborating on Modi government’s vision for India on August 15, 2022 when India completes 75 years of independence, he said: “Our vision is to see that every citizen has roof on his head, 24-hour electricity, a toilet at home, good road connectivity, quality education and proper healthcare facilities.”
During the day-long event, spread over 12 riveting sessions, 31 eminent speakers including Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Union Minister CR Chaudhary, industrialist Anil Agarwal, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, former Union Minister CP Joshi, educationists T.V. Mohandas and Manish Sabharwal, Grammy award-winning musician Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt, actor Ila Arun and fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore discussed and debated about the multi-dimensional growth trajectory of Rajasthan.

Source:IndiaToday