No shortage of coal for power sector: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi [India], Jul 18 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that there was no shortage of coal for the power sector, adding that growth in the dispatch of coal to power sector increased coal-based generation by 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2018-19.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha earlier today, Goyal noted that at the beginning of the fiscal year 2018-19, Coal India Limited (CIL) had a pithead stock of 55.55 Million Tonne (MT) and stock at Power House end was 16.27 MT.

However, after the first quarter of 2018-19, CIL dispatched a record quantity of 122.2 MT coal to the power sector, thereby achieving a growth of 15 percent over the dispatch in the corresponding period of last year, he added.

"Coal supplies to the power sector is monitored regularly by an Inter-Ministerial Sub Group comprising representatives of Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, Shipping, Central Electricity Authority, NITI Aayog, CIL" Goyal said.

Meanwhile, a committee of Secretary (Coal), Secretary (Power) and Member (Traffic), Railway Board has been jointly reviewing the coal transportation and supply on a regular basis.

Last month, Delhi Power Minister Satyendra Jain wrote a letter to the Centre complaining that few thermal power plants in the city were facing an "acute coal shortage" for many days.

He also said that Delhi was staring at a power blackout due to less availability of coal stockpiles at power plants in the city. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI