From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 24: With the disruption in Karnataka’s thermal power generation due to the complete depletion of coal stocks and the situation of a looming power crisis in the State, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has taken steps by directing the officials concerned to ensure there was interruption in power supply in the State.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition chief minister held the Narendra Modi-led NDA government responsible for the power crisis as the Centre has not taken steps to ensure supply of coal despite frequent requests and reminders.

Kumaraswamy asked officials to utilise hydro and solar power facilities to avoid load-shedding.

"As the supply of coal in the state was not in accordance with the agreement that was reached with the Centre, power generation at the Raichur Thermal Power Plant has suffered," said an official press release.

The chief minister had recently tweeted about the shortage in coal supply to the state and requested the Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal to look into the issue.

"Coal scarcity in the State's Thermal Power Stations: Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) with 1,720 MW capacity has zero coal stock. WCL, a Government of India Coal Company has short supplied about 6 Lakh MT of coal to RTPS this year against the Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) quantity resulting in this situation (shortage)," Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had said in a tweet.

"I have requested honourable Coal Minister of Union Government Piyush Goyai to make good this deficit from Mahanadi Coal Fields (MCL). I even requested the minister that in the coming days WCL should ensure supply of FSA quantity in full for sustainable power generation in Karnataka," he had said in another tweet.