'They also said there is no oxygen shortage': Sisodia slams Centre's response to coal crisis

Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday alleged that the Centre is not ready to accept that there is a coal crisis and its policy to "turn a blind eye" to every problem could prove fatal for the country.

His remarks came after the coal ministry asserted that sufficient dry fuel is available in the country to meet the demand of electricity generating plants and dismissed as "entirely misplaced" any fear of disruption in power supply.

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“Union Power Minister R K Singh today (Sunday) said there isn't any coal crisis and that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should not have written a letter to the prime minister on the issue. It is sad that a Union cabinet minister has adopted such irresponsible approach,” Sisodia said at a press conference here.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that it clearly showed that the central government is making excuses to "run away" from the crisis and compared the present situation with the oxygen crisis during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in April-May this year.

He alleged that when states and doctors said that there was a shortage of oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19, the Centre did not accept that there was a crisis.

“They had done the same thing when the country grappled under an oxygen shortage. They would not even accept that there is a problem. They try to prove states wrong instead,” Sisodia alleged.

The Deputy CM said that the Centre's "habit of turning a blind eye" to every crisis can prove fatal for the country.

“The coal crisis can lead to a power crisis which could shut the entire system of the country. It can adversely impact industries,” Sisodia said.

He requested the central government to realise the gravity of the situation and make efforts to solve the crisis.