New Delhi; The CPI(M) on Tuesday hit out at the central government over the coal crisis in the country, alleging that it is a result of "incompetence and lack of planning".

The Coal Ministry had on Sunday assured that sufficient dry fuel was available in the country to meet the demand of electricity generating plants, stressing that any fear of disruption in power supply is “entirely misplaced”.

Officials had attributed the shortage of coal to the disruption of transport due to heavy rainfall in mining areas.

In a statement, the CPI(M) alleged that the government sought to deny its role in the massive shortfall in electricity generation that has hit the country.

Currently, severe power cuts are extending to many hours in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar and Punjab, while many others, including Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi, are staring at impending blackouts, it said.

"India has enough coal and mining capacity to meet its demand. The problem of not having coal with the power stations is simply one of a lack of planning and incompetence. The Modi government failed in its fundamental task of coordinating between the power and the coal ministries, and now wants to instead make Coal India a scapegoat for this failure.

"The country is paying for the government's incompetence in handling simple issues of inter-ministerial coordination and planning," the party said.

The CPI(M) demanded that the government discharge its responsibility and urgently resolve this coal shortage crisis. PTI