The Hindu : Walkout over power issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

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Walkout over power issue

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, JAN. 21. The Opposition Congress members staged a walk- out in the Rajasthan Assembly today protesting against the inadequate power supply to farmers. The walkout came at the end of the half- an-hour long acrimonious exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition. The issue of power supply which had led to disruption of the proceedings of the House the previous day continued to dominate the business today as well.

The Leader of the Opposition, B.D.Kalla, who led the walk-out, said within a short period of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government assuming charge in the State there had been many public agitations over power shortage to farmers in various parts. The statement from the Government, made by the Education Minister, Ghanshyam Tiwari, that farmers were given eight hours power besides the domestic supply in rural areas from 6 PM to 10 PM and 5 AM to 7 AM for the benefit of students, did not satisfy the Opposition. The Government was making contradictory statements on power. It had even talked about the prospects of Rajasthan selling power to other States, Mr.Kalla pointed out.

Mr.Tiwari said he was willing to answer members' questions but the Speaker, Sumitra Singh, reminded the House that only clarifications could be sought on the statement of the Minister as there was no provision for a debate.

Mr.Tiwari said Rajasthan was now buying power to adhere to the promise of eight-hour power supply to farmers during rabi season. The power was now being purchased from DVC West Bengal at the rate of Rs.2.50 per unit, from Anta-Auriya(Northern Grid) at the rate of Rs.4 per unit, Delhi Transmission Ltd, at Rs.2 per unit and from Rajasthan Transmission Corporation at Rs.4.50 per unit. The power companies in the State would be provided an amount of Rs.200 crores as financial assistance in the next three months, he said. He clarified that the State had never mooted selling power. Even if it had surplus power during off season, the existing infrastructure at the power stations at Kota and Suratgarh was not enough to facilitate supply to outside buyers.

Observing that the "scene'' created by the Opposition in the Assembly the previous day was "totally unwarranted'', Mr.Tiwari said the power position had improved greatly under the new Government. The power availability in the State in the current month had been on an average 862 lakh units daily while in the previous year in January it was only 717 lakh units daily, he pointed out.

Mr.Tiwari also assured the House that no farm connections would be discontinued for any reason during the rabi season and burnt out transformers would be replaced in 72 hours. The Government was also committed to clearing the pending 1.75 lakh applications for new connections in the next three years. Some of the applications had been pending for the past 10 to11 years, he pointed out.

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