Present power crisis due to Centre's faulty policy: Bardhan

Lucknow, Sept 5: The CPI on Friday held the Centre's "faulty policy" responsible for present power crisis and accused Adani and Tata groups of "blackmailing" by closing down power plants run by them, that generates over 8,000 MW electricity, to get the tariff revised.

"When the country was witnessing the most acute power crisis of the history due to faulty power policy of the Centre, closure of power plants with over 8,000 MW capacity by Adani and Tata groups to get the power tariff changed amounted to blackmail and the government must act tough against them," said AB Bardhan, veteran CPI leader. He alleged when the Supreme Court on August 25 stayed hike in power tariff, these companies stopped their production.

Bardan, who is also Convener of national coordination committee of Power engineers and employees, held the policy of previous UPA government responsible for the crisis and demanded an amendment.

"The over dependability on private firms for power was responsible for the crisis being faced by the country. The amendment done by UPA government in Electricity Act 2003 should be taken back.

In this amendment power supply and distribution were separated and licences for power supply was advocated," the former CPI General Secretary said. Demanding the Narendra Modi government to review the "faulty power policy" of the UPA government at the earliest, Bardhan said "till this was done, process of privatisation, giving franchisee and amending the act should be stopped."

Due to UPA's power policy, a number of scams like coalgate and others have taken place and were coming to fore, he added. Bardhan also announced that power engineers and employees would stage dharna during Winter Session of the Parliament in New Delhi and other places on the issue.

PTI