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Cong. takes BJP to task on power crisis

Special Correspondent

Threatens stir if supply to farmers not increased to eight hours

JAIPUR: The Congress has held the "neglect '' of the energy sector by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in the State responsible for the current power crisis in Rajasthan. The BJP Government, which assumed office two years ago, has not done anything to improve the power generation capacity in the State, instead energy losses from theft and leakages have gone up, the Congress has alleged. The party has threatened to launch an agitation if the power situation does not improve during the current rabi season.

The Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president and former Energy Minister, Chandra Bhan, said in a statement on Tuesday that in the current rabi sowing season farmers were being given power only for four to five hours every day instead of a minimum requirement of eight hours. The short supply and poor quality of power were obstructing sowing operations in various parts of the State, he noted.

The farmers were keen to bring additional area under sowing as the State did not get adequate rains or timely power for kharif sowing. Even while the urban areas were subjected to power cuts the supply to farmers was not showing any signs of improvement. Besides, the single-phase domestic connections, meant to facilitate students appearing for examinations, too were not supplying power for more than three to four hours, Dr. Bhan observed.

The former Energy Minister said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and the BJP should be held responsible for the energy crunch in Rajasthan. "During her two-year tenure as Chief Minister, Ms. Raje did not make any effort to create more capacity in power generation. On the other hand, Ms. Raje, who also holds the Energy portfolio, gave away 150 MW of Rajasthan's share from Rawatbhata Atomic Power Station to Madhya Pradesh,'' Dr. Bhan said.

During the previous Congress regime the State had increased its capacity in power generation by 1750 MW. After the BJP Government came to power not only has the production capacity not increased but loss due to theft and leakage has also increased.

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