MP govt accuses Guj of not clearing SSD power sharing dues

The Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government on Monday accused its BJP-ruled Gujarat counterpart of failing to clear up the dues to the tune of Rs 250 crore arisen out from not supplying power from the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) to the central Indian state.

Calling it the violation of the terms of the power- sharing agreement, Madhya Pradesh Minister for Narmda Valley Development Surendra Singh Baghel also alleged that the Gujarat government was not cooperating on various issues related to the dam.

"The Gujarat government has not been cooperating on various issues related to the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD), including the non-payment of dues of about Rs 250-crore for not supplying the electricity according to the power-sharing agreement (between the stake-holder states)," he said.

As per the pact among the stake-holder states, MP gets 57% of power from the SSD.

The minister further said the state government has started working on various projects to utilise its share of the Narmada dam water by 2024.

Baghel also accused the previous BJP government in Madhya Pradsh of "fudging" the rehabilitation data for the completion of the dam.

"Those who were in power for the last 15 years did not provide the correct information to the Centre and the Supreme Court earlier," he alleged.

The minister said rehabilitation of dam oustees is the priority of the current Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

In September this year, Chief Minister Kamal Nath had written a letter to the Union government accusing the Gujarat government of violating the schedule of filling the SSD.