Coal Crisis|Power Minister assures no-cut electricity for Delhi

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After a meeting with BSES, and Tata Power, and other officials of the Power Ministry over coal shortage at power plants in Delhi, Union Power Minister RK Singh assured that the national capital is receiving the "required amount of electricity and it will continue."

"The panic ensued after GAIL informed Bawana gas power plant that it will stop supplying gas after two days because their contract was about to expire. I've asked GAIL CMD, who participated in today's meeting, to continue required supplies," Singh told ANI.

He added that he has asked GAIL CMD to continue supplying the required amount of gas to power stations across the country. "He has assured me that the supplies will continue. Neither there was any shortage of gas in the past, nor will it happen in the future."

Singh denied that this isn't a crisis situation and warned Tata Power CEO of action for sending "baseless SMSs to customers."

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd sent phone messages to its customers to use electricity judiciously, on October 9.

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) CEO Ganesh Srinivasan said that Coal-based power stations supplying electricity to Delhi have limited coal stocks to meet generation requirements for one-two days against 20 days as per applicable regulations.

"In effect, neither there was, nor there is any crisis. It was created unnecessarily. I've warned Tata Power CEO of action if they send baseless SMSs to customers that can create panic. Messages by GAIL & Tata Power qualify as acts of irresponsible behaviour," Singh told ANI.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to avoid any crisis.

He had sought the Prime Minister's intervention in making adequate arrangements of coal and gas to generation plants supplying electricity to the city.

n his letter to Modi, Kejriwal suggested "adequate coal may be diverted from other plants to plants like Dadri-II and Jhajjar TPS, which are supplying to Delhi”.

"APM gas may be allocated to plants like Bawana, Pragati-I and GTPS supplying power to Delhi. Adequate quantity of NAPM gas be supplied to power stations in Delhi,” it added.