Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav added another feather to his cap on the eve of Deepawali by announcing that from Saturday his government will ensure a supply of 18 hours in rural areas and 22 to 24-hours in urban areas from Saturday.
This is seen as a big achievement for the SP government as when Akhilesh took charge the state was reeling under acute power shortage. In its manifesto, the SP had promised to end the power crisis by 2016 which the CM has accomplished changing his campaign tagline to `kaam bolta hai’.
"We have fulfilled all our promises. We have worked hard to change the atmosphere in the state. Hence we are going to the Assembly polls with our tagline 'kaam bolta hai'," the CM asserted.
Yadav asked SP workers to enjoy the extended Deepawali as he would be launching 'Vikas Rath Yatra on November 3which will be followed by SP's silver jubilee Foundation Day function on November 5.
The CM, who dedicated the new UP State load Dispatch Centre(SlDC) Control Room besides other power projects in lucknow on Saturday, announced that now rural areas would get 18 hours of uninterrupted power while tehsil and district headquarters would get 20 and 24 hours power supply daily. He also announced that if the SP returned to power then rural areas too will get 24 hours power supply.
lambasting at the BJP and the BSP, Yadav said that former used to say there were five CM's in UP but it is unfortunate that they have yet to name anyone as their CM face. Terming BJP members as 'hoshiyar, chamatkari and chalu', Akhilesh recalled PM Narendra Modi raising the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' at the recent Dusherra funtion in lucknow.
"You (BJP) are discussing surgical strikes...even senior people know what it was. I have studied in a military school and my classmates are serving at the borders. I asked them and they told me that surgical strikes have been taking place earlier too. But (see) how the BJP has been misleading the country", Yadav said.
Attacking the BSP, he said, "BSP is now trying to become an alternative to the SP. But can the people of the state forget their acts of misusing funds by constructing elephants and other useless things."
In the presence of several ministers and power engineers, the CM disclosed that MlC Bukkal Nawab challenged him that the control center would not be completed in this regime and even offered to resign if it was done." Now Bukkal Nawab should decide what to do, whether to resign or forget his challenge," he stated.
Yadav also pointed out how rickshaw puller Maniram was given entry inside the CM's residence when he ferried the CEO of PayTM. "Maniram's life changed in an hour, now he has become a rickshaw owner. You can imagine his happiness on Dhanteras when he got the rickshaw," he said.
The CM said that no other government had done such work in power sector like his government has. For the first time, foundation stones were laid by me and later it was inaugurated by me too. "The power department budget merely Rs 9500 crores and it was hiked to Rs 50,000 crores so that people did not suffer," he pointed out while directing power department officials and workers to take care of line faults immediately.
