Chavan urges Modi to convene CMs' meet to tackle crisis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently convene a meeting of chief ministers of the states that are reeling under power crisis. Referring to the ongoing Ganesh festival and the ensuing festive season in Maharashtra, Chavan insisted the problem needs to be addressed on a priority basis.

“As you are aware, competitive bids had been invited for supply of power by involving the private sector in electricity generation. However, since the bids were finalised, there have arisen very serious issues regarding fuel availability. Legal challenges have emerged due to change in laws that have led to disputes arising out of the Power Purchase Agreements that were executed. As a result of these disputes, private generators have expressed their inability to continue with the operation. This has led to large-scale load-shedding across the state. Due to the ongoing Ganpati Festival in Maharashtra, the problem has become more acute,” Chavan said in his letter to Modi dispatched on Wednesday.

Chavan added that the state government has been engaging with the private power producers for the past two years to find a solution. He said he held a meeting on August 30 with Union power minister Piyush Goyal in the presence of former Union minister Sharad Pawar to resolve the crisis. During the meeting, it was felt that in view of the magnitude of the problem and its national ramifications, the matter should be resolved at the highest level. The fact that this problem is being faced by at least five states calls for larger consultation and involvement of the Centre to resolve the issue, he noted.

Chavan’s call for Modi's intervention comes barely a day after he squarely blamed the Centre’s ‘incompetence’ for the worsening power crisis in Maharashtra.

He also claimed that Centre-state relations were taking a hit under the Modi government. Citing the load-shedding threat in 70 per cent of Maharashtra, Chavan has also sought the allocation of power from the Centre's unallocated quota.