Srikant seeks CBI probe into power sector irregularities
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Srikant Jena on Sunday demanded that the State Government provide electricity up to 200 units free of cost to all BPL families and charge Rs 2 per unit on common consumers.
He too demanded that the Government give electricity free of cost to farmers for agricultural operations. “The Punjab Government has been giving free electricity to farmers for the last 30 years. Similarly, the Andhra Pradesh Government is providing a total subsidy of Rs 5,000 crore to farmers annually.
However, the Odisha Government charging highest power tariff on farmers and other consumers,” pointed out Jena at a Press meet here.
He said while a consumer in Delhi gives Rs 2 per unit upto 400 units of power consumption, bearing Rs 800 in total, in Odisha, a user gives various rates till consumption of 400 units and the total charge comes to Rs 1,950.
He too slammed that the transmission and distribution (T and D) loss is highest in Odisha i.e 41 per cent. Stating that the OERC has put 25 per cent T and D loss as a burden on common consumers, he termed it as ‘power theft’ and said power consuming private companies and the State administration are directly involved. ,
Informing that the power distribution companies now owe a total of Rs 7,000 crore to the State Government, Jena demanded a CBI inquiry into all irregularities committed in the electricity sector. He too demanded that a special audit be conducted in the power sector by a third party.