"On September 16, the total coal dispatch of Coal India Limited was 1.49 MT... The total coal dispatch on September 16 to power sector was about 1.16 MT," the ministry said in a statement.
It said a total of 213.5 railway rakes of coal were dispatched to different consumers out of which 196 railway rakes were dispatched to power sector alone.
"The dispatch to power sector through rail is around 20 per cent more as compared to the same period of September 2016," the statement said.
There has been a dip in coal stocks at power plants due to sudden rise in electricity generation amid restrained output and supplies on account of excessive rainfall, the government last week said.
In order to tackle the situation, one arm of CIL has been given the role of lead firm for every power plant as about a dozen power plants in the country face a bleak scenario.
In the wake of the scarcity, CIL has also been directed that coal loading via railway rakes shall be hiked to 250 rakes/per day out of which 225 rakes per day shall be supplied to the power sector, the government has said.