New Delhi: An important meeting on the coal crisis in the country is set to be held on Tuesday. The Coal and Energy Secretary will brief the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today on the current situation and the measures taken to deal with it. The central government has come into action mode amid a deepening blackout crisis in some areas following reports of coal shortages. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a high level meeting on Monday.
The Secretaries of the Ministries of Energy and Coal in the PMO will brief about the current situation today. Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have already expressed concern over the deteriorating situation. However, Union Energy Minister RK Singh had assured that it was creating "unnecessary fear" that and warned DISCOMs of action. The Union Energy Ministry has directed the National Thermal Power Corporation and Damodar Valley Corporation to provide maximum power to Delhi DISCOMs under the respective Power Purchase Agreements. In Assam, Power Minister Bimal Arora has said that there will be no power shortage during Durga Puja. He said, "Assam has purchased energy from the Open Exchange at high prices. We have spent Rs 13-14 crore more.'
Home Minister Shah had convened a high level meeting on the same issue on Monday. The meeting was attended by several officials from NTPC including RK Singh, Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi. The meeting was held at the Home Ministry office in Delhi. Singh had said that there is no shortage of coal. The Coal Ministry had then also clarified that coal exists in sufficient quantity to meet the demand of power plants.
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