State BJP spokesperson Yashwant Jain said that Chhattisgarh Congress president Charandas Mahant has lost his mind and is making senseless allegations.
He said that the allegation made by Mahant against Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh was totally baseless, he said in a statement issued here on Sunday. Jain said that the annual budget of the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company is about Rs 6,000 crore only, in which payment of employees’ salary, transmission losses, maintenance and other expenses, payment of share of pension gratuity are included.
The Rs 20,000 crore scam out of the annual budget of Rs 6,000 crore is beyond understanding. Only the Congress could do a Rs 20,000 crore scam from the annual budget of Rs 6,000 crore, he said. Jain said that the approval of the rate of electricity being purchased by the Power Distribution Company, was under the prerogative of the Electricity Regulatory Commission. 90 per cent of total power purchase is under the long-term agreement, which is mainly made from the State power generation companies and the power plants of NTPC.
The rate of State power generation plants is fixed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission and power purchase rate of all the power plants of NTPC is prescribed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. Hence, it was totally wrong to say that higher rate was paid in the purchase of electricity, he said.
Jain said that during the last three years the Power Distribution Company purchased electricity from the local power generating companies, for which, as per rule, approval from the State Electricity Regulatory Commission has been received. Electricity has been purchased after calling tender, in accordance to the guidelines of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Jain said that the allegation of Mahant that electricity has been purchased on higher rates was totally wrong. The claim of Mahant that lose of electricity companies has been increased manifold was baseless, but in fact, it has been decreased, he added.
According to the audited accounts of power distribution companies, lose of the company during 2010-11 was Rs 581 crore, which has been decreased to Rs 505 crore during the year 2012-13, he said.