Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy urged the union government to allocate more natural gas and coal in order to run power plants which are operating at low capacity owing to lack of fuel.

He made the request for more coal and gas when he met Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily, Minister of State Jyotiraditya Scindia and Defence Minister AK Antony recently.

Antony is heading the Empowered Group of Ministers on gas allocation and pricing. He asked the central government to allocate additional coal to the NTPC power plants in the state enabling them to generate 500 mw of additional power.

Reddy explained the unprecedented power crisis gripping the state to Scindia and asked him to ensure completion of work on linking the southern grid with the national grid as it was a long term solution to tackle power shortages.

He urged Antony to convene the meeting of the EGoM at the earliest so that a decision could be taken before the month-end.

He appealed to Moily to ensure allocation of gas to the State so that a majority of the gas-based power plants that were now lying idle could start generation of power.

Reports indicate that Scindia told Reddy that the issue of allocation of additional coal and gas to the state was under examination by the EGoM. A decision could be taken once the EGoM gave its consent.