Jindal Energy hires former CIL CMD Anil Kumar Jha as chairman

Jindal Power (JPL), a subsidiary of Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL), has appointed former Coal India (CIL) chief Anil Kumar Jha as its new chairman. The development follows JPL winning the Chhattisgarh’s Gare Palma IV/1 block in the maiden auction for commercial coal mines in November, 2020. Jha was appointed the chairman and managing director of CIL in May, 2018 and was at the helm of its affairs till his retirement in January, 2020.

“We are confident that with his vast experience and rich insights, JPL under his leadership will continue to scale new heights and contribute towards a self-reliant India,” JSPL chairman Naveen Jindal said. JPL runs coal-based thermal power plants with cumulative installed capacity of 3,400 MW in Tamnar, Chhattisgarh.

The Gare Palma IV/1 mine, with an annual peak production capacities of 6 million tonnes, earlier belonged to JSPL, before the Supreme Court in its September 2014 order had cancelled licences of 204 captive coal blocks. The block was auctioned off again in November, 2019 where JSPL was the highest bidder, but the government had cancelled the auction thereafter. The coal block is located close to JSPL’s Raigarh steel plant and the Tamnar power plant in Chhattisgarh.