'MP govt ready to loot Rs 1.33 lakh cr public money through unnecessary power projects'

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: Despite being a power surplus state, Madhya Pradesh has much higher tariff than most other states and the reason is huge corruption--scams to the tune of over 1.33 lakh crore.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state convener Alok Agarwal said that in a press conference in Bhopal on Wednesday.

Agarwal said that three power projects--Singaji phase-1 on the banks of Narmada near Khandwa, Jhabua Power in Seoni and BLA Power in Gadarwara, have higher rates of electricity and hence the MP state power regulatory commission had refused to buy power from them, still, without buying a single unit from them, 1,322.5 crore would be paid to them as per the fixed charges.

"Why agreements with them are not being cancelled when they are against public interests. This is pure loot that will result in 33,000 crore which would be taken from public in the next 25 years", he said.

"Also, the three under-construction power projects will result in another Rs 1 lakh crore going down the drain. Hence, it will be Rs 1.33 lakh crore loss", Agarwal said, while speaking to journalists at the AAP office in Subhash Nagar in Bhopal.

Agarwal said that the average power demand in MP is 8,000 MW and the availability is 17,500 MW, yet power is costlier. "As the rate of power purchase would be higher, MP won't buy electricity from these plants but still Rs 4000 crore would have to be paid annually as fixed charges. Hence, Rs 1 lakh crore of public money would be wasted without buying a single unit".

AAP has said that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan must clarify that why Rs 33,000 crore would be wasted without even buying power from any of these three power projects near Narmada and why three more projects are in the pipeline for an additional Rs 1 lakh crore loot though there is no need.

Why such agreements are not being scrapped and rate of power halved in State?, Agarwal said. "200 units of power cost Rs 462 in Delhi but the same 200 units of power costs Rs 1,360 in Madhya Pradesh", he added.

AAP has demanded that all six projects' agreement should be scrapped so that public money to the tune of Rs 1.33 lakh crore is saved. The party will continue its movement on 'power scams' and would intensify it in coming days.