CM blames centre for coal shortage, BJP hits back

LUCKNOW : Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the Centre of not making adequate power and coal allocations.

Speaking to media persons after the state cabinet meeting, he said the Plant Load Factor had gone up during the tenure of Samajwadi Party led government vis-à-vis the previous regime.

He said the Supreme Court’s decision to cancel the coal allocations may prove to be blessing in disguise for the state. He said the state hoped to get fresh coal blocks now.

Replying to question, chief secretary Alok ranjan later said the state was getting 3500 MW power against the expected allocations of 5500 MW. This indicated shortage of 1500 MW, he said.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai held a roadside press conference opposite the Vidhan Sabha and slammed the UP government for ‘lying’ on power crisis.

Bajpai flayed the UP govern- ment’s claim that the BJP government at the centre was not supplying enough coal to the state leading to power crisis. He said while UP’s power load factor was 57 per cent, it was 75 per cent at the Centre. If only the state government brought PLF at par with centre, UP could produce additional 1000 mw electricity.”

He said, “So far no power units in the state were closed due to paucity of coal. Union energy minister Piyush Goyal made four attempts to contact state government but failed to contact the minister concerned.”