When the Lokayukta Police raided the palatial house of director (medical services) A N Mittal in Bhopal last week, his agitated wife dared them to target his political bosses to whom, she said, he periodically pays Rs 1 crore and “not small fry like us”. Her embarrassed husband had to silence her and take her inside. “Small fry” Mittal had property in excess of Rs 50 crore, according to preliminary estimates. The raid revealed not only the family’s taste for expensive personal accessories but the luxurious lifestyle their pet dogs, too, led in air-conditioned rooms.

GMDC has put on hold its plans to set up indigenous coal-based thermal power plants with an estimated investment of Rs 20,000 crore to generate 4,000 MW.

Uncertainties over the coal blocks allocated to the state PSU appears to be a key reason for the decision.

Five years ago, the Ministry of Coal had allocated the Morga coal block in Chhattisgarh and the Naini block near Angul in Odisha to GMDC, which prompted it to put in place pit-head power generation plans.

Industry Power sector: Chhattisgarh is one of the few States of India where Power sector is effectively developed. Based on the current production of surplus electric power, position of the State is comfortable and profitable.

The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) is in a strong position to meet the electricity requirement of the new State and is in good financial health. Chhattisgarh provides electricity to several other states because of surplus production, and it's power hubs are Korba and Bilaspur.

About 80,000 children living in Raipur, Mahasamund and Durg districts between age group 3 to 15 years are suffering from sickle cell anemia a generic disorder that can be fatal. The shocking revelation was made by The Centre for Genetic Diseases and Molecular Biology Department, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Raipur. The department has launched Chhattisgarh Sickle Cell Screening Project aided by the Central Government, to take blood samples and has been scanning various districts in Chhattisgarh since 2007.

With the Sasan coal issue blowing hot and other recent operational issues, the power ministry wants PFC to be sure on reserves before allocation
Jyoti Mukul

With excess coal becoming an issue of contention in the Sasan ultra mega power project (UMPP) of Reliance Power in Madhya Pradesh, the government has decided to be cautious and allot coal blocks only after a higher degree of certainty about reserves.