No Shortage Of Coal In India, Govt Ready If Problem Arises: MSME Minister

Mumbai: Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma said there is no shortage of coal in India. He added that if such a problem arises, the government is ready to deal with it.

Participating in the National Coir Conclave in Coimbatore, the minister answered a reporter’s question on coal shortage, which has led to power shortage across the country, PTI reported.

With regard to the increase in the prices of raw materials used by MSMEs, especially the textile, engineering and manufacturing sectors, Verma assured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allocated Rs 5 lakh crore to address the capital needs of the MSMEs.

Meanwhile, with low coal stocks due to logistical failures, the Railways last week decided to cancel 753 journeys involving 42 trains to prioritize the delivery of coal rakes across the country.

A total of 713 journeys of South East Central Railway (SECR) have been cancelled till May 25, while 40 journeys of Northern Railway (NR) have been cancelled till May 8.

The cancellation will mainly affect passengers travelling from major coal-producing states including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Several states including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have faced power cuts.

However, the Coal Ministry also issued a statement on 29 April saying that there is enough coal available with the coal companies.

The government had earlier warned that it may not be able to provide uninterrupted power supply to vital establishments such as metro trains and hospitals in the capital.

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