'If Centre doesn't take any step...': Delhi DyCM Sisodia takes dig at Centre over coal crisis
Sisodia referred to the Union Minister's comments as "irresponsible" at a time when "Chief Ministers throughout the nation have been warning the Centre" about the imminent blackouts.
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FollowDelhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has accused the Centre of turning a blind eye to the coal issue while promising "adequate" supplies to satisfy power sector demand. "When we had an oxygen crisis, they continued insisting there was no such problem," Sisodia added, drawing a connection between the coal crisis and the COVID-19 second wave peak in April-May this year. "The situation with coal is identical. Today, we are in the midst of a crisis. A coal crisis may cause a power crisis and stop everything, including industries, but the Centre is denying it. If the Centre doesn't take any step, another crisis will rise in the country," he added.
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Earlier in the day, Union Power Minister RK Singh stated that "an unnecessary panic has been generated regarding coal scarcity," adding that the problem will be resolved in the coming days. Singh also said that "enough electricity is available."
Sisodia referred to the Union Minister's comments as "irresponsible" at a time when "Chief Ministers throughout the nation have been warning the Centre" about the imminent blackouts caused by the coal stock issue. Several states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu, have worried about power outages. In a letter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene to transfer coal and gas to power plants that serve the national capital.
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A debilitating coal shortfall has also caused a supply deficit in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, with inhabitants facing power outages lasting up to 14 hours each day.
Meanwhile, the government has cited four reasons for the depletion of coal stocks at power plants: an unprecedented increase in electricity demand due to the economy's recovery, heavy rains in coal mine areas, an increase in the price of imported coal, and legacy issues such as heavy dues owed by coal companies in states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
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