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WITH SEVERAL states facing long power cuts, the Congress on Friday hit out at the central government for its mismanagement of the situation arguing that the Centre was not providing logistical support for coal distribution to power plants leading to the “artificial power crisis” in the scorching summer.
“Today (Friday) morning….the demand for electricity in the energy exchange was 16,035 megawatt and the supply of electricity was only 2,304 megawatt because 72,074 megawatt capacity plants are right now not operating. What is the reason… Is there any scarcity of coal in our country? The answer is no. The coal mines have an appropriate amount of coal, but the government is not able to provide logistic support to transport the coal from the coal mines to the power generating stations,” Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh told reporters.
He said out of 173 power plants, 106 power plants have coal stock of 25 per cent or less than 25 per which they are supposed to maintain.
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“Our question is why they have only 25 per cent or less than 25 percent of stock. Everyday there is a demand of coal for 22 lakh tonne, why supply is only 16 lakh tonne? Why is there a severe mismatch of demand and supply of coal? And last, but not the least, in the month of May, we will be having a total demand of power as 2.2 lakh megawatts, what is the plan the Modi government has made to supply this power in the month of May?” he asked.
“We demand that this artificial power crisis, which is created due to mismanagement of coal, which is created because of mismanagement of demand side and supply side should be immediately resolved and people should be provided relief by providing 24×7 power supply this summer,” he added.
In a Facebook post, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi too hit out at the government asking it to stop running the “bulldozer of hatred” and start running power plants instead. “On April 20, 2022, I told the Modi government to stop running the bulldozer of hatred and start power plants in the country, today the coal and electricity crisis has created havoc in the entire country. I am saying again – This crisis will destroy small industries, due to which unemployment will increase further. Small children cannot stand this scorching heat. The lives of patients admitted in hospitals are at stake. There will be financial loss by stopping rail, metro services,” he said.
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