Manish Sisodia blames Centre for Delhi's coal crisis

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Blaming the Centre over the ongoing coal crisis row, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday said the Centre is running away from the issue of shortage of power production.

Referring to the oxygen crisis during the peak of second wave of Covid-19, the Deputy Chief Minister alleged that the Central government always neglects real issues.

"The coal situation is similar to the Oxygen crisis. However, the Centre won't accept it," he said.

Criticising Union Power Minister R.K. Singh, Sisodia said he is sad on the 'irresponsible approach' of the Minister.

Several states, including Rajasthan, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, have been raising concerns over the power shortage, Sisodia said.

He said that Chief Ministers including Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, have already written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

With the country running low on coal, power plants in Uttar Pradesh have stopped functioning, but the Central government is turning a blind eye towards it, he slammed.

Notably, Kejriwal on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the prevailing coal shortage situation that has struck the national capital for the third month in a row, affecting power generation in the city.

The problem that has been continuing since August "has affected the power generation from the major Central Generating Plants supplying power to NCT of Delhi", the chief minister wrote.

However, R.K. Singh had stated on Sunday that Delhi will not face any energy crisis as sufficient fuel is being provided to power plants supplying the national capital, after reviewing the coal stock position in all thermal power plants.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has said it is strange that the AAP government is repeatedly spreading fear of ensuing power cuts in Delhi but is not telling what alternate arrangements it has made to ensure proper power supply in the national capital.

This is despite the Union Power Minister's assurance that there is no shortage of fuel for power plants and the Centre will ensure proper power supply for Delhi, he added.