UP GIVES POWER TO ONE COMMUNITY: GOYAL

NEWDELHI: Power minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday cited a probe report that alleged Uttar Pradesh government was discriminating on the basis of religion in supplying power.

“If there are 5 houses on a street, they are probably leaving two houses, even those that are on the same power line,” Goyal said. “They are not given power because of their community. This was a serious charge so I directed the state government that they should investigate.”

Sarvesh Kumar, BJP MP from Moradabad, had initially lodged a complaint with the power ministry. On the basis of his allegations, the ministry ordered a probe. Kumar’s complaint said that there were many areas in Moradabad where power lines were being laid but the power connections are being given to only people of one community.

The Power ministry directed the state government to conduct an inquiry.

The state government dismissed the charges. Kumar was not satisfied with the answer and forwarded his complaint to the Prime Minister.

Power ministry sent a highlevel committee to Moradabad to investigate. “When the committee sent its report to the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) they found the charges to be true that in Moradabad there are many areas where even in supplying power there is discrimination,” Goyal said.

Once this came to light many other MPs came forward with similar complaints, Goyal said. Some of them have alleged that money that was sought to be used under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana was going only to some villages, according to the minister.

He said, “This discrimination based on caste and religion is a serious issue.”