2007 assembly polls: 'Power axis' of UP polity

Lucknow, June 22: Power has become a major poll issue in the run up to the 2007 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, even as the severe electricity crisis refuses to subside any time soon.

Political parties have started to encash the issue for possible gains at the hustings early next year in assembly polls.

It is another matter that the power crisis is already causing hardships to common man and even creating law and order problems.

The protests of people have spilled forth to roads against the 16-20 hours load shedding on a daily basis in towns like Kanpur, Varanasi, Meerut, Bareilly and Allahabad.

A string of 'dharnas', violent protests and arson are regularly being reported in UP, while power employees are demanding security from irate local residents.

While, the opposition is blaming the ruling dispensation in UP for the crisis, the Samajwadi Party-led government has passed the buck to the Centre.

Since power crisis has only deepened every successive year, political outfits are leaving no stone unturned in making the most of the situation this time, since it is last summer before UP goes to polls.

Allegations and counter-allegations revolving around power have started doing the rounds at news conferences, rallies and workers' meet of the various political parties including Congress, BJP and the ruling SP.

Meanwhile, UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) sources admitted that the crisis was far from over although a 220 Megawatt (Mw) unit had started production at Parricha in the state, while UP was also getting an additional 20 Mw from Uttaranchal at 100 Mw.

Against a peak hour daily demand of 7,500 Mw in UP, the state power units are generating merely 2,500 Mw, besides importing about 2,800 Mw from the central sector. To fill the gap between demand and supply, the power authorities are resorting to massive scheduled and unscheduled power cuts at most places.

However, the state capital and some select towns have been exempted from load shedding.

To tide over the shortage, UP is regularly incurring massive costs importing power from the central sector, while the centre does not hesitate to admonish the state government referring to the grid discipline.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has put the onus on the Congress-led UPA government for the dismal power scenario in UP.

He claims the centre had never extended a helping hand in this regard to UP in the form of any financial package, while other states were getting funds for development.

The CM maintains no power unit was established in UP in the last 10 years, while the existing ones needed upgradation.

''The centre is also interfering over the supply of power to UP from Uttaranchal,'' he lamented.

On his recent visit to UP, union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had suggested that power deficit states should embark on setting up new power plants rather than blaming the centre.

''All the states should take pro-active steps for stepping up power generation to make up for the power deficit of about 68,000 Mw,'' he asserted.

AICC president Sonia Gandhi -- on her two-day visit to Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency -- had scoffed at the Mulayam government saying the regime was acting with vendetta in the aftermath of her landslide victory in the recent bypolls. On Friday, she emphasised that Rae Bareli was getting 24 hour electricity before the bypolls. ''However, after my win, the constituency is facing massive power cuts of upto 16 hours a day.'' The 'power-politics' underway can be gauged from the fact that on Sunday itself, UPPCL managing director Ashok Khurana had negated Ms Gandhi's claims regarding power supply to Rae Bareli.

In a news conference here, Mr Khurana claimed the situation in Rae Bareli had arisen due to the short-comings of Power Grid Corporation of the central government.

Earlier, union minister of state for home and Kanpur MP Sriprakash Jaiswal had lambasted the UP government for the power crisis on several occasions.

He claims the state government had committed a blunder by turning down a proposal of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) regarding power distribution in UP.

Uttar Pradesh BJP unit president Keshri Nath Tripathi has also held the ruling SP for the prevailing mess vis-a-vis electricity.

He alleged the UP dispensation was neither taking any solid step to scuttle power theft in the state nor to realise outstanding power dues.

Mr Tripathi said the Mulayam government was befooling the masses on the matter. He forecast that the power issue would be the main electoral plank in the next assembly polls.

UNI