Akhilesh Yadav to meet Piyush Goyal over coal, power crises in UP

SP and BJP have been at loggerheads in the state assembly over the power crisis

Seeking to resolve the persistent power and coal crises in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will soon meet Union Power and Coal Minister (Independent Charge) Piyush Goyal in New Delhi.

On November 8, a similar meeting between Yadav and Goyal was called off at the last moment after the latter had cancelled his Lucknow visit. The proposed meeting was touted as a positive development juxtaposed to bitter exchange of words between the Centre and UP through statements and letters blaming each other for the state power crisis.

The ruling Samajwadi Party and Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had sparred in the state legislative Assembly on Wednesday over power crisis. Even Yadav had participated in the discussion to fend off BJP's stinging attack on the issue.

In his press communiqué on Wednesday, Yadav has now revealed plans to call upon Goyal to discuss the issue and seek early resolution of the crisis.

Yadav has reiterated alleged discrimination in the allocation of power to Uttar Pradesh from central pool. He also said the Centre was not providing coal according to requirements to run state thermal power plants, adding to the woes.

He said the state had been making repeated requests to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union minister (Goyal) to resolve the power crisis.

He also said Uttar Pradesh should be provided maximum power from the central pool, as it was the most populous state. Neighbouring states were getting more power and some of them were even selling surplus power, he said.

Citing the example of Delhi, Yadav said it had been allocated 70 per cent of the 5,788 megawatts of central power quota for the state.

Yadav demanded to revisit guidelines for allocation of central power quota.

Besides, the state's thermal power generation had adversely been affected following sub-optimum supply of coal. Meanwhile, Yadav has requested for long-term coal linkage to proposed power plants, so that they are completed in time.