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Gujarat hits out at Centre, Maharashtra

Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat Government has hit back both at the Maharashtra Government and the UPA Government at the Centre for blaming it for the power crisis in Maharashtra.

Replying to the accusation that the Gujarat Government was coming in the way of construction of the gas pipeline to supply gas from Dahej terminal in the State to Dabhol project in Maharashtra, Energy Minister Saurabh Patel said the power shortage in the neighbouring State was owing to its own failure to foresee power requirements and increase generation.

He said that as soon as the farmers in Surat objected to laying the pipeline, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi intervened and allowed Maharashtra to lay the pipeline through the Government land skirting the private lands of the agitating farmers. Quoting a report of the Gas Authority of India Limited, which was responsible for laying the pipeline, Mr. Patel pointed out that while only three km of the 12-km-long pipeline through the disputed land was yet to be constructed, more than 45-km pipeline was still incomplete within the territory of the Maharashtra Government.

Accusing Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who hails from Maharashtra, of discriminating against the two States on political grounds, Mr. Patel said soon after Mr. Shinde took over charge he "took away" 200 MW of power from the unallocated Central sector, which so far was being used by Gujarat, and diverted the same to Maharashtra.

"Double standard"

Another Congress Minister from Maharashtra, Murli Deora, in-charge of the Union Petroleum Ministry, demonstrated double standard in respect of pricing for gas for the power projects.

While for the proposed 700 MW power project at Pipavav, the Gujarat Government was told to purchase gas at market prices, Mr. Deora allocated gas at subsidised rates to Dabhol project.

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