Electricity Goes Off During MP CM's Speech, Shivraj Chouhan Admits To 'Coal Crisis' In State
The power outage took place when CM Chouhan was speaking on the occasion of Civil Services Day at an event in Bhopal.
New Delhi: The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh was left red faced after electricity went off when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was giving a speech during an event on Thursday.
The incident took place when Chouhan was speaking on the occasion of Civil Services Day at an event in Bhopal, PTI reported.
As the power cut occurred in the middle of his speech, Chouhan said, "Is Sanjay Dubey, principal secretary of energy department, around?"
His comment triggered laughter among the audience. The CM then went on to admit that ther was a coal crisis in Madhya Pradesh.
"I had held talks with Sanjay (Dubey) on Wednesday morning and he requested me for some rakes of coal," Chouhan said.
The electricity supply resumed after five minutes.
READ | Explained: Why India Is Facing Power Crisis, Blackouts In Scorching Summer
Coal reserves in several states are quickly running out amid surging demand for electricity due to intense heatwaves in several parts of the country. According to a report by the Central Electricity Department, at least 100 of the 173 power plants are facing coal shortage.
As many as 12 states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand and Haryana are facing power cuts because of less coal supply.
Hitting out at the BJP government, state Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said "power crisis has manifested in MP".
"There was a power outage for a long time while Mamaji (CM) was addressing a Civil Services Day function at Academy of Administration. Mamaji also talked about the coal problem. Power crisis has manifested in MP," he tweeted.
Earlier this week, All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said that thermal plants across the country were grappling with coal shortages.
"Thermal plants across the country are grappling with coal shortage as the power demand in states has increased, and many of them are not able to bridge the gap between demand and supply because of insufficient coal stocks at thermal plants," AIPEF spokesperson VK Gupta had said in a statement.
The Union Power Ministry has recommended the import of coal for blending up to 10 per cent to ensure adequate stock when the power demand is at its peak in the next few months.
The Railways Minister has been directed by the Centre to rush coal loads to the thermal power plants whose coal stocks are on minimum level. The government is also mulling to explore the possibility of cheap coal from other countries to meet the shortage that arose after the Russia Ukraine war, PTI reported.
(With PTI inputs)
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