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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF POWER
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3509
ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026
IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES OF THE REVISED SHAKTI POLICY
3509 SHRI BHUBANESWAR KALITA:
Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:
(a) the details of total quantity of coal offered and actually allocated under various components
of the Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India (SHAKTI) Policy
during 2025, category-wise;
(b) the extent to which coal linkages granted under SHAKTI Policy have translated into actual
power generation capacity being operationalized;
(c) the criteria and timelines prescribed for allocation of coal linkages under the revised
SHAKTI Policy; and
(d) the measures taken to improve uptake of coal offered under linkage auctions to ensure
optimal utilization of domestic coal resources?
A N S W E R
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER
(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)
(a): During the calendar year 2025, Power Sector have been allocated coal under Para B(i) and
Para (iv), of erstwhile Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India
(SHAKTI) Policy, 2017, for a capacity of 140 MW and 5320 MW respectively. Further, under
Window-I of Revised SHAKTI Policy, 2025, coal linkages were allocated to 11,260 MW capacity.
In addition to above, during the same period, Coal India Limited (CIL) conducted multiple
rounds of auctions under Para B (iii) and Para B (viii) (a) of the erstwhile SHAKTI Policy, 2017 and
allocated coal as mentioned below:
SHAKTI Policy, Quantity Offered Quantity Allocated
Round / Tranche
2017 (Million Tonnes) (Million Tonnes)
Para B (iii) Round 7 to 9 86.81 23.81
Para B(viii) (a) Tranche XXII and XXIII 61.29 26.47
Total 148.10 50.28
(b): The entire coal linkage allocated under SHAKTI Policy to the thermal power plants is for
the generation of electricity.
……2.- 2 -
(c) & (d): All the power generating companies are eligible for coal linkages under the revised
SHAKTI Policy, 2025 issued by the Ministry of Coal (MoC) on 20.05.2025 as per the criteria and
terms & conditions mentioned in the policy, timelines prescribed under the “Methodology for
allocation / earmarking of coal linkage under revised SHAKTI Policy, 2025” issued by the Ministry
of Power (MoP) on 17.07.2025.
The Government has introduced several measures to improve participation and uptake of
coal offered under linkage auctions: -
i. Thermal Power Plants of Central Sector, State Sector and Independent Power Producers
(IPPs) have been made eligible for allocation of coal up to 100% Plant Load Factor (PLF) as
per prevailing norms, as compared to 85% PLF under the earlier SHAKTI Policy, thereby
facilitating higher utilisation of domestic coal.
ii. Power generators have been provided flexibility to utilise linkage coal for generation of
electricity to meet their Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) commitments as well as for sale
through Power Market platforms, including the DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity
Price) portal. Further, Un-requisitioned Surplus (URS) power generated using linkage coal
is also permitted to be sold in the power market, improving commercial viability and
participation in linkage auctions.
iii. Imported coal-based thermal power plants have also been allowed to participate in Window-
II linkage auctions for securing domestic coal linkages, which helps in reducing dependence
on imported coal while simultaneously increasing the uptake of domestic coal offered under
linkage auctions.
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