Amid Coal Shortage, Amit Shah Meets Ministers

Amid concerns of coal shortage and consequent black-outs, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has met with his cabinet colleagues in charge of the coal and power ministries. The meeting was also attended by senior bureaucrats and officials of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Several states have warned of black-outs due to a shortage of electricity as a consequence of shortage of coal, though, the center has assured of ample stocks in its reserves.

The Ministry of Coal in a statement on Sunday said that the stocks at coal powered plants are about 7.2 million tons, enough for four days of operation. The government owned Coal India has a stock of 40 million tons which is being supplied to power plants.

The ministry clarified saying, "Any fear of disruption in power supply is entirely misplaced", after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal warned of a power crisis. Heavy monsoons have flooded the mines and disrupted transport lines leading to a rise in prices. Global prices have also soared it this time.

India, world's second largest coal consumer, had an average of four day's stocks in its power plants, the lowest in years, prompting fears of shortage. More than 70 per cent of India's electricity generation is coal intensive and about three-fourths of it are mined in India.

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