BJP against Centre over power crisis

The BJP government in state today said it would hold state wide protests on October 18 against the Centre denouncing its ‘non-cooperation’ in ensuring allocated share of power and supply of adequate coal to thermal power plants and held it responsible for the power crisis in the state.

“The party will stage protests at all district headquarters and here over the Centre’s discriminatory attitude against Karnataka in allocation of power,” State unit BJP general secretary C T Ravi told reporters here.

He alleged that while Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde allocated 700 Mw of additional power to his home state of Maharashtra, Karnataka’s plea for a similar allocation had not been accepted.

“The Centre is responsible for the power crisis in Karnataka as it is not giving the state 1,596 Mw allocated energy and supplying only about 1,000-1,100 Mw,” he alleged. He demanded that four Union Ministers representing Karnataka ‘demonstrate their power’ and secure allotment of coal and additional power to the state.