'8 years of big talk to 8 days' stock': Rahul Gandhi takes potshot at PM over coal shortage
New Delhi, April 20: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting on the country's coal and power crisis, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the country only has eight days' stock of coal supplies.
"Eight years of big talk has resulted in India having only eight days of coal stocks," said Rahul while taking a potshot at PM Modi.
The Congress leader also asked the "Centre to switch off the bulldozers of hate and focus on the power plants in order to prevent the loss of small scale industries leading to more job losses".
"Modi Ji, stagflation is looming. Power cuts will crush small industries, leading to more job losses. Switch off the bulldozers of hate and switch on the power plants!" tweeted Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi also shared a picture quoting PM Modi's announcement on June 18, 2020, to auction 41 coal mines for commercial mining in order to make India self-reliant in energy by reducing imports. He compared it with the current coal crisis in India.
Also Read | Breaking News LIVE: Covid-19 cases on rise among children; parents demand online classes
Union Home Minister on Tuesday held a meeting with Power Minister RK Singh, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in the midst of reports of ongoing coal and power situation across the country.
The meeting took place in the wake of several states warning of a possible power crisis due to the shortage of coal supply to power plants, officials said.
There are reports of domestic thermal power plant coal stocks being depleted in 12 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Haryana, which are experiencing power outages ranging from 3 to 8.7%.
Domestic power demand allegedly reached a 38-year high in the first two weeks of April 2022.
In October 2021, there was a 1.1 percent power shortage; by April 2022, it had increased to 1.4 percent.
R. K. Singh, the Union Power Minister, has blamed the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the sharp increase in imported coal costs. This is due to the insufficient availability of coal-transporting railway waggons.
Also Read | Jahangirpuri violence: Arms supplier nabbed, has over 60 criminal cases
-PTC News
