In a letter to Union Minister RK Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reportedly requested that coal be transported entirely by rail to the state. Currently, the Rail-Ship-Rail (RSR) model is used to transport coal from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) in Odisha to Punjab. Mann emphasised the importance of switching to a rail network entirely, citing cost, time, and quality savings when transporting coal. MCL produces G8-G15 grade non-coking coal from its mines in the Talcher Coalfield in Odisha, as well as other mines in the lb coalfield in the districts of Jharsuguda and Sundergarh in Odisha.
The Union Ministry of Power has directed Punjab to begin lifting 15-20 percent (12-13 lakh MT) domestic coal from Talcher Mines via R-S-R mode in January 2023. Talwandi Sabo Power Limited in Punjab has a coal linkage with MCL/Talcher of 67.20 lakh MT. The government is attempting to develop an ideal and optimal infrastructure for coal transportation, as well as an efficient, eco-friendly multi-modal integrated 'National Coal Evacuation Infrastructure' with the recent Draft National Coal Logistics Policy 2022. Furthermore, the Gati Shakti National Masterplan and the National Logistics Policy 2022 have been designed to work in this direction.
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