BJP walkout over poor electricity supply in rural areas

Alleging that the Samajwadi-led Uttar Pradesh government is ignoring rural areas as they face power cuts of over 20 hours, BJP members staged a walkout from the state assembly today.
"The government is supplying 24 hours power to Kannauj, Rampur, and Etawah districts but ignoring rural areas," BJP member Satish Mahana alleged.
Another BJP member Radha Mohan Das Agarwal said that it was unfortunate that government could not increase electricity production due to which people have to face problems.
The matter was raised during Question Hour by both BJP and Congress, following which the BJP members staged a walkout, raising slogans, "Bijli, Paani de na sake jo, wo sarkar nikammi hai. (The government which could not provide water and power is useless)."

In his reply, Minister of State for Power, Yasir Shah said that as per the roster, 10 hours of power is supplied to rural areas, 12 hours at Tehsil level, and 15 hours at district level.
According to the roster, the minister said, 18 hours power supply is maintained at division level, 20 hours in big cities, and 24 hours in Taj Trapezium area.

Bundelkhand region gets 15-hour power supply, the minister said.
He informed that the state was generating 3,103 MW power from thermal and hydro-power projects.
Leader of opposition, Swami Prasad Maurya also said that the government's answer was not true as the "ground reality of power situation was quite different".

Shah tried to put the ball into the BSP's court by saying the previous government had left a loan of Rs 25,000 crore.
This agitated the BSP members and they jumped into the well of the House.
However, they returned to their benches after Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey announced that time for Question Hour was over.