Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, took a dig on the Central Government on power issue saying that he expected that union government should give “due right” of the state, which has elected maximum number of their Party MPs. He was attacking Centre for not providing adequate quota of power allocated to the state.
“I think Centre would give due right of the state and ensure proper coal and adequate power supply of the state’s allocated quota as it (UP) has given maximum number of BJP
MPs”, asserted Akhilesh Yadav, while making a calculated attack on the Centre over power issue. He said that cancellation of coal block in Chandipada coal block (Orissa) would create hurdles in running power plants of the state as from there the plants were to get coal supply. “I think the Centre should keep in mind population of the state and fulfill its coal needs. I will give you details of the coal and allocated power supply to the state by Centre”, he said.
Giving details, Yadav said that at present allocated power quota of the state was 5005 MW but the state was getting only 3448 MW. He said that Anpara unit of the state required 27000 MT of coal per day but as against it the State was getting on an average of 15658 MW per day this month. Similarly, Paricha plant was getting 13050 MT coal per day and Harduaganj 6935 MT against 9,000 MT, Panki 2383 MT against 4,000 MT and Obra 7961 MT against 15,000 MT, chief minister pointed.
Meanwhile reacting sharply to chief minister allegation on the Centre, BJP’s state president, laxmikant Bajpai alleged that Akhilesh Yadav was misleading the people and levelling baseless allegations against the Centre on the power crisis in the state.”The CM is misleading people on the issue of power crisis in the state.
Centre is not responsible for the crisis. It is the state government which is responsible for power crisis here,” Bajpai disclosed to media persons here on Tuesday afternoon. He said that while plant load factor of central thermal power projects was 75 per cent, in UP it was only 57 per cent.”If the government takes PlF of state thermal plants to 75 per cent, then 1,000 mega watt additional power could be generated,” he said.
Bajpai stressed that the state’s allegation that adequate coal was not being supplied, was false and challenged the state government to name “one unit which has been closed due to shortage of coal”. He asked why power was being purchased at a higher rate from private companies when it was available at the rate of Rs 3.39 per unit.
Anpara D power plant was supposed to generate 1,000 MW power from 2011, but government has not been able to make it operational till date, he said. Bajpai claimed that the Chief Minister was not even replying to Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s call and said that there were number of projects whose foundation was laid by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, but were yet to take off.