Varanasi got the VVIP tag in real sense as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav declared that this holy city, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would get 24x7 electricity with immediate effect and offered a glass of juice to BJP lawmaker Shyamdeo Rai Chaudhry, who was on indefinite hunger strike for the last five days demanding uninterrupted power supply to this city.
“I broke the fast after Akhilesh Yadav asked the Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation limited to ensure 24-hour electricity to Varanasi,” Rai Chaudhry, also known as ‘Dada’, told ‘The Pioneer’ here on Monday after his meeting with the Chief Minister.
With this announcement, Varanasi joins the august list of cities that get 24x7 power supply. The list includes lucknow, Rae Bareli, Kannauj, Etawah, Mainpuri and Agra. There is also unofficial directive to supply uninterrupted power to Azamgarh, the parliamentary constituency of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Dada was on indefinite hunger strike since May 27 demanding 24-hour power supply to Varanasi as it was the Prime Minister’s constituency. He alleged that the city was getting electricity for less than 10 hours after May 16 when the lok Sabha results were announced.
“I spoke to the Chief Minister on Sunday and he asked me to meet him. I along with BJP’s former MP lalji Tandon met him today and after 30 minutes’ discussion, the Chief Minister ordered 24-hour power supply to Varanasi,” he said.
later, a press release issued by the state Government said the Chief Minister had directed the Managing Director of Poorvanchal Vidhyut Vitran Nigam limited to provide 24-hour power supply to Varanasi as it was a major tourist destination of the country that attracted the highest number of domestic as well as foreign tourists.
Yadav, in his statement said that the state should get 6,082 MW power from central pool but it was getting only 4,500 MW. Besides, he said, because of paucity of coal, power generation in Anpara had come to a naught while thermal generation had also come down at Obra, Parichcha and Harduaganj because of limited supply of coal.
“The Government is trying to improve power generation and distribution and the situation will come under control by 2016,” Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the Government decision to provide 24-hour electricity supply to Varanasi brought smiles on the faces of people of this holy city facing acute power crisis. There were protest against discrimination in power supply to Azamgarh and Varanasi following which Dada sat on indefinite hunger strike.
Now, the people of the city are hoping that like Azamgarh, Varanasi too will get 24-hour electricity and there will be no power cuts except in during local faults.