Congress seeks CBI inquiry into "irregularities" in power cos

Indirectly targeting the former ally NCP, leader of opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil today demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged "irregularities" at the state-run power companies for the period of the last ten years.
He was speaking during a discussion on power situation in the state in the house. He also asked for a white paper and audit of the power companies.
NCP held the energy department during the Congress-NCP regime. Its senior leaders Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and Dilip Walse-Patil handled the power portfolio during this period.
Relations between the two parties have turned bitter with NCP ousting Legislative Council chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh, a veteran Congressman, through a no-confidence motion earlier this week.

Vikhe-Patil alleged that "in the past ten years, there were several irregularities in the state-run power generation, transmission and distribution companies," and demanded a "CBI inquiry." "There is need for a white paper and a thorough audit."
The senior Congress leader alleged that the state-run power firms signed contracts worth a total of Rs 21,000 crore without floating tenders, and they should be scrapped.
The Rs 5,000 crore Parli power project was shut down, and it could have been restarted by making the Jayakwadi water pipeline operational, which would have cost only Rs 50 crore. But this was not done, he alleged.

The leader of opposition also asked the government to probe the activities of Mula-Pravara electricity cooperative society, run by his own family. The previous government had discontinued the energy distribution license of the society for bill arrears.