Chandigarh: Punjab must prevent and prepare for the imminent power crisis because of coal scarcity in power vegetation, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Sunday.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress chief also demanded that private thermal plants flouting guidelines should be penalized.
Sidhu said it’s time to aggressively work on Solar PPAs and roof-top solar connected to the grid.
“Punjab must prevent & prepare, rather than repent & repair… Private Thermal Plants floating guidelines, punishing Domestic Consumers by not keeping Coal Stock for 30 Days should be penalised. It is time to aggressively work on Solar PPAs, & roof-top solar connected to the Grid !,” he tweeted.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had earlier on Saturday urged the Central government to urgently address the issue of coal shortage being faced by electricity-generating thermal power plants in Punjab and asked them to enhance the state’s coal supply as per its quota.
“Chief Minister @CharanjitChanni urges Centre to ensure coal supply as per requirements to avert power crisis across the state. Chief Minister reiterates his government’s commitment to provide requisite power to agriculture sector,” read a tweet posted on the official Twitter handle of the Government of Punjab.
Several other states and Union Territories have also raised the problem of coal scarcity over the last couple of days.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier on Saturday said Delhi could soon face a power shortage with the coal crisis across the country affecting supply at power plants that supply electricity to the capital as well.
Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene and ensure adequate supply of coal to thermal power plants providing electricity to Delhi.
“Delhi could face a power crisis. I am personally keeping a close watch over the situation. We are trying our best to avoid it. In the meanwhile, I wrote a letter to Hon'ble PM seeking his personal intervention,” Kejriwal tweeted.
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Meanwhile, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh on Sunday rubbished claims of power crisis in the country.
The bureaucrat-turned-politician said there is no need to panic and added there is enough coal reserve for power production.