Akhilesh blames UPA for power blues

With a promise to improve the power scenario in the state, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday blamed the Centre for failing to make any commitment on the coal-linkage which led to problems in the power sector in Uttar Pradesh.

He said the Centre had never co-operated with the state on coal-related issues thus making power scenario in the state rather bleak.

Yadav's remarks, made in the UP assembly, irked the Congress members.

Yadav went on to say that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was never helpful to the state as far as the power sector was concerned.

The UP CM minced no words while alleging that the non-cooperation from the Centre stalled the Dadri power project which was mooted by the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government last time. 

Promptly responding to it, UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that the UP government had failed to settle land acquisition issues with the farmers and the Centre had no role to play in that. The Dadri project by Anil Ambani had created a lot of controversies during the last SP regime and later the Mayawati government had stalled the project.

The CM said his government would make all efforts to ensure satisfactory power supply in the state. 'The government is paying due importance to the generation, distribution and plugging line losses,' he said.

The issue was raised in the question hour. Shiv Pal Singh Yadav said corruption during the last Mayawati regime had put the entire power sector in a quandary. He said the previous government had done nothing to improve power sector and left an additional burden of Rs 25,000 crore on the present government.