Nagpur: Energy minister Nitin Raut again attacked the BJP calling its agitation against inflated power bills bogus and said it was with sole purpose of diverting attention from failures of central government.
On Wednesday, former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had declared in Mumbai that BJP activists would court arrest on February 24 against MSEDCL’s disconnection drive and state government’s failure to reduce power bills of common citizens.
Raut said that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had been formed with the primary aim of uplifting farmers and hence there could be no question of the government harassing the agriculturists.
The minister said that MSEDCL had launched the Mahakrishi Urja Abhiyan on January 26 for the welfare of farmers. “Between January 27 and February 18, we have provided electric connections to 14,355 farm pumps and installed 7,800 solar farm pumps,” he added.
Raut said that farmers were taking advantage of the amnesty scheme announced by the state government. “So far, the farmers have paid Rs 174 crore of which Rs 53 crore is the current bill amount and Rs 121 crore past dues,” he added.
The minister said that BJP leaders were misleading people that the MVA government had increased the power tariff from April 2020. “The powers of deciding the electricity rates are with Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) and the government has no role in it,” he further said.
“In any case, MSEDCL had submitted the tariff hike petition well before MVA government came to power,” he added.