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Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity P Thangamani has requested the Centre to keep its promise and raise coal supply to meet the State’s power needs.

With the electricity supply inadequate, the State is under a serious threat of load shedding, he said.The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation has been asked to seek coal import with the help of Central public sector undertakings.

Thangamani urged the Union Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal to direct Coal India Ltd and the railway authorities for supply of at least 15 rakes daily to meet the demands of the State coal plants which are running out of reserves.

In his letter, the minister has said the daily average dispatch in September was nine rakes and 9.5 in October so far.The current average coal stock with the TANGEDCO thermal power plants would meet requirement for 3.3 days when the norm was 30 days.

Realisation from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd in Talcher was half as also from other coalfields. Also there has been no domestic coal allotment against import substitution from Eastern Coal Fields. To worsen the situation, the 1-million tonne supply from Singareni Collieries has not happened for that past few months, the letter says.