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Amid coal crisis, Maharashtra minister says there will be no load shedding in state
The minister's assurance came even as power cut warnings poured in from other states across the country.
Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Naut on Tuesday assured that there will be no load shedding in the state due to the ongoing coal crisis in the country. Raut asserted that despite a shortage of coal in the state, the Maharashtra government has made sure that the supply of electricity is not disrupted.
“Despite the coal crisis, we have tried to supply electricity to our citizens. Even after the deficiency of coal in the state, only four out of 27 power generation units are currently shut,” news agency ANI quoted Nitin Raut as saying. “As a minister, I can guarantee that there will be no load shedding due to the coal crisis,” he added.
Also read: As concerns rise over coal shortage, Centre reassures with ‘fact-check’
The minister's assurance came even as power cut warnings poured in from other states across the country. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the power situation is "very critical" in the entire country. Delhi power minister Satyendar Jain alleged that the Centre has asked NTPC plants to run at 50-55 per cent capacity as their coal stocks were reduced to meet one-two days' need.
Kerala electricity minister K Krishnankutty on Monday said the state government will announce a decision on imposing power cuts after October 19, adding that the state was facing a shortage of 100 MW of electricity. In neighbouring Karnataka, power cuts have already been announced in Bengaluru till October 14.
Meanwhile, Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) government's coalition partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday alleged that the Modi government was responsible for the current shortage of coal in the country, PTI reported.
During the tenure of the erstwhile UPA government, the then prime minister Manmohan Singh came up with a coal policy keeping in mind the electricity requirements of the country in the future, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.
But the BJP, then in the opposition, alleged a coal scam and the policy had to be rolled back, said Malik. Eventually, coal mines were given to some entities, but mining has not yet started there, he said, adding that despite the availability of coal, it is not being mined, the NCP leader said. "The Modi government is responsible for the shortage of coal," he further said.
On Sunday, amid reports of coal shortage, the coal ministry assured that sufficient dry fuel is available in the country to meet the demand of electricity generating plants. The ministry also downplayed fear of disruption in the power supply, calling it “entirely misplaced”. On Monday, Union home minister Amit Shah convened a meeting with power minister RK Singh and coal minister Pralhad Joshi amid coal shortages in power plants.
