Officials had been directed to work out linkages from Mahanadi Coalfields or Western Coalfields and supply coal immediately.
HYDERABAD: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy on Friday said the Centre would ensure uninterrupted coal supply to the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant (YTPP), which is on the brink of shutting down due to an acute shortage of coalm to prevent a power crisis in Telangana.
Speaking to reporters, Kishan Reddy said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka had spoken to him over the phone on Thursday, seeking coal allocation from Coal India after supply to YTPS was hit by reduced production at the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). Officials had been directed to work out linkages from Mahanadi Coalfields or Western Coalfields and supply coal immediately.
Kishan Reddy said hydropower generation had fallen sharply across the country due to El Nino conditions, while power demand had risen by 16 to 18 per cent. Dependence on thermal power had increased from 74 to 83 per cent, putting heavy pressure on the coal sector.
He said he, along with the Union railway and power ministers, was reviewing coal supply regularly. A record 496 railway rakes were being loaded daily against the normal 350 to transport coal to power plants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reviewing coal production, transportation and stocks at power plants twice a day, he added. Incentives were being given to about four lakh Coal India workers to ensure production continued even during holidays.
Responding to reports that 46 lakh metric tonnes of coal had gone missing from Singareni, Kishan Reddy said there was only an error in book adjustment. He alleged that Revanth Reddy and K.T. Rama Rao were levelling allegations against each other for political gain, and said both the previous BRS government and the present Congress government were responsible for pushing SCCL into crisis.
He alleged that Telangana Genco was using Singareni thermal power and coal without clearing its bills. Dues stood between ₹26,000 crore and ₹29,000 crore when the-Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao left office, and had risen to ₹59,000–`60,000 crore under the Revanth Reddy government.
He said three new coal blocks had been allotted to Singareni after 15 years since he became Coal Minister, and efforts were on to secure one more.
He said there was no shortage of foodgrains, with Food Corporation of India godowns holding sufficient stocks for the coming year. He alleged that the state government was following double standards, exporting fine rice abroad without disclosing the whereabouts of rice purchased with ₹32,000 crore Central funds, while blaming the Centre. Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao also met him to discuss national highways, the Kothagudem airport and the development of Singareni in Khammam district.
Referring to protests in Delhi, Kishan Reddy launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of trying to weaken constitutional institutions and topple the elected NDA government. He alleged that Gandhi was making “irresponsible” claims that officials from the CBI, ED, police and external affairs ministry were leaking information to him, saying such statements endangered national security and were unbecoming of a Leader of the Opposition.
He accused Gandhi of threatening CEC Gyanesh Kumar and attempting to “blackmail” the judiciary by taking out a procession to court. He said the Congress was targeting the Election Commission only because the BJP was winning elections. “Votes have not been stolen. Thieves are not getting votes from people,” Reddy said, rejecting Rahul’s poll‑rigging allegations.
He alleged that international “deep state” forces and domestic disruptive elements were conspiring against India’s rise. He warned that the current time was not 1977, when India returned to normalcy after the Emergency.
