Piyush Goyal refuses AAP's allegations of coal shortage; says Delhi govt should focus on power distribution

Refusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s allegation of coal shortage at city-based thermal power plants, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that the Delhi government should focus on strengthening distribution infrastructure and implement plans to meet the electricity demands in the national capital region.

"There is no shortage of coal or electricity in Delhi. State government should focus on strengthening distribution infrastructure and implement plans to meet demands of future, or else the situation will stay the same for the forthcoming governments too," the news agency ANI quoted Goyal.

The coal minister was responding to the Arvind Kejriwal government's letter to the Centre, which stated that Delhi was staring at a power blackout due to fast depleting coal stockpiles at power plants in the city.

There is no shortage of coal or electricity in Delhi. State government should focus on strengthening distribution infrastructure & implement plans to meet demands of future, or else the situation will stay the same for the forthcoming governments too: Union Minister Piyush Goyal pic.twitter.com/3Qb5ZAn1hl

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2018

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Goyal further went on to claim that the coal ministry and Coal India had ensured that there is no electricity problem even for a single day in Delhi.

"I think that as we speak around 30-35 rakes are on the way to power plants in Delhi. There is also (coal) stock in all the three plants," Goyal was quoted while speaking during the launch of the Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) and Khan Prahari App.

On being asked about Centre's plans to increase the number of rakes, Goyal said, "What is now 300-400 wagons will be tripled in the next three four months. And going forward I am telling..to ramp up to 2000 (supply of wagons) every month".

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Last week in a letter to the Centre, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain said, thermal generation stations Dadri I & II, Jhajjar and Badarpur had been facing an "acute coal shortage" for many days due to non-availability of transportation rakes.