By Express News Service
AHMEDABAD: To brainstorm strategies ahead of the upcoming Gujarat election, state Congress leaders are camping in Delhi to hold meetings with Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the party has announced a ‘Gandhi Gaurav Yatra’, which will begin from the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad on April 6 and will end in Delhi on June 1.
After its abysmal poll show in five states, Congress is focussing on Gujarat polls. Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “As part of commemorating the 75th year of India’s Independence, Congress will take out two padayatras to highlight its contributions in the freedom struggle and spread the message of communal harmony. One of them the ‘Gandhi Gaurav Yatra’ will begin from Ahmedabad on April 6 and will end in Delhi on June 1.”
Meaanwhile, members of the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress on Wednesday engaged in a heated debate in the Gujarat legislative Assembly over the issue of a revised power purchase agreement signed by a state-run utility with Adani Power.
Congress MLAs raised anti-BJP slogans in the House and accused the ruling party of favouring the private power company.
Responding to a query raised by Rajesh Gohil (Congress), Energy Minister Kanu Desai said the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) had signed an agreement with Adani Power in 2007 for purchasing electricity at levalised rates of Rs 2.89 and Rs 2.35 per unit under bid-1 and bid-2, receptively.
However, the rates were revised in 2018 for the remaining period of the contract and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission had also approved the new agreement, said Desai.
Raising objection to the government’s move, Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani said the state’s money was being spent to purchase “costly” electricity from private players.
He asked the government to increase the capacity of state-owned power plants instead of relying on private players.
Responding to the opposition benches, Minister of State for Energy Mukesh Patel said efforts were on to increase the generation capacity of state-run power plants.
He also said the electricity purchased from Adani Power was only 5 per cent of the entire chunk bought from private players in 2020.
Accusing the BJP of favouring Adani, Congress members stood up from their seats and started shouting slogans against the ruling party.
When senior Congress MLA Punja Vansh sought to know the amount paid to Adani Power under the revised agreement, Energy Minister Desai, without revealing any figure, said the private company’s per unit cost was less than the rates charged by state-run entities.
“Coal prices started rising in 2012 after Indonesia changed its coal export policy. Despite that we stretched till 2018. To supply uninterrupted electricity, we have to revise the old agreement. Adani Power’s share in total power supply was only 7 to 8 per cent,” said Desai.
Not satisfied with the answer, Congress members once again engaged in anti-BJP sloganeering.
When senior BJP MLA Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and chief whip Pankaj Desai sought an apology from the Congress for using derogatory words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House, Speaker Nimaben Acharya said she will check Assembly records and take a decision on the issue on Thursday.
(With PTI Inputs)
