Indian Parliamentarian Blames PM Modi's Leadership for Countrywide Coal Shortage

According to reports, India is witnessing a major coal crisis because of a sharp surge in demand across Europe and China. The crisis has worsened because of interruptions to supply chains after repeated lockdowns and extended restrictions. Coal-fired power stations in India account for nearly 70 percent of electricity generation.

Prominent Muslim leader and head of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday slammed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi blaming the federal government for the country's coal shortage.

In a series of tweets, Owaisi said: “Under the able and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the coal power stations are left with only an average of four days’ worth of coal stock which might lead to an increase in electricity bills and frequent power cuts as 70 percent of our electricity depends on coal.”

Until able & visionary leadership of @narendramodi:

Coal power stations left with only average 4 days’ worth coal stock (September end)

This is the LOWEST available stock in YEARS

Bijli bills may go UP

Power-cuts may be MORE frequent

70% of our electricity depends on coal pic.twitter.com/HdyEiUkW8d

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 5, 2021

Owaisi also cited a report published on Indian news website Scroll.

On Sept 30, as many as 39 thermal plants with a capacity to generate 52,530 megawatts of electricity had coal stocks for less than three days. 15 thermal plants that can generate 14,875 MW had reportedly exhausted their stocks on Sept 30.https://t.co/xLDXr1XhmF

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 5, 2021

Daily newspaper, ‘The Indian Express’, reported that on 30 September, as many as 39 thermal plants with a capacity to generate 52,530 megawatts of electricity, had coal stocks for less than three days.

In an interview with the paper, federal Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh said that although it is expected that demand could start tapering off from the latter half of October, the bridging of the fuel gap is still likely to be a “touch and go” affair and that he is bracing himself for what he reckons will be a trying “five or six months”.

“I can’t say I am secure… If you have 40,000-50,000 MW (of thermal capacity) with less than three days of stock, you can’t be secure,” he added.

However, Singh asserted that his team is working continuously in coordination with other ministries to avert a crisis.

He said that until now, “there is nowhere that we have not been able to supply the quantity of power required. If there has been load-shedding it must be for other reasons."