BHOPAL: State Congress chief Kamal Nath said on Monday that those in the know of things are themselves admitting that thermal powers in the country have just four days of coal stock left and at the same time, they are denying there is any coal crisis or power crisis in the country.
He said that they should clarify the minimum stock of coal a thermal power station should have and the stock of coal they used to have in the past.
They are attributing shortage of coal to increase in the prices of coal in the international market, increase in the demand of electricity and waterlogging in the coal mines but they are not admitting that the government didn't take steps to rectify the situation in time. These developments have not happened all of a sudden and if the government knew about the impending coal crisis, why didn't it take steps to avert the crisis. In fact, it's "inertness" of the government that has led to coal crisis, he said.
The former chief minister expressed surprise that chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan didn't respond to his queries on coal crisis and unscheduled loadshedding in the state despite his posers not once but twice. People who are responding to questions on coal crisis and loadshedding, don't know anything about power production, he said.
The state government is still "lying" that there is no coal crisis in the state and there is no situation of power cuts, but the "fact" is that in thermal powers of the state, coal stock of 2 to 4 days is left, which is indicative of a deep power crisis ahead.
Several units of the thermal power stations have stopped because of coal crisis, leading to power production reducing by half.
He further said that chief ministers of several states are appealing to the Prime Minister for sufficient supply of coal, but chief minister of Madhya Pradesh has not woken up to the situation till now and is busy in electioneering for BJP candidates in the by-polls due in the state.
He urged the chief minister to take note of the coal crisis and impending power crisis as festive season is on and people of the state are also worried over media reports of an impending power crisis in the state. Nath said that the chief minister should take up the matter with the central government and take all the steps possible to restore normal supply of coal so that power production in keeping with the demand could be ensured.
