With the Centre despatching 16 rakes of coal to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, the coal stock will suffice for four days, Electricity Minister P. Thangamani said.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging the low stock and how it could lead to shutting down of thermal power plants. Mr. Thangamani met Union Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on Tuesday.

Talking to The Hindu over phone, Mr. Thangamani said the Union Power Ministry held a high-level meeting last week and and decided to send 16 rakes of coal to the State. To a request for additional four more coal rakes, the Union Power Minister promised to take steps to send 20 rakes of coal in the coming weeks. He said the coal stock would soon increase to the usual 15 days.

Providing the figures of coal rakes sent by the Centre, he said eight rakes of coal were sent in the aftermath of the CM’s letter, followed by 13 rakes and further increasing it to 17 rakes on Sunday. On Tuesday 16 rakes of coal were sent.