Maya's 'power' volley: Former governments to blame for crisis
TNN 19 July 2009,

LUCKNOW: Debunking Congress's allegations of not doing anything to address the bleak power scenario in the state, chief minister Mayawati on

Saturday squarely blamed all the previous governments for the existing crisis.

Notably, Mayawati was prompted to release the White paper on the power sector today in retaliation to Rahul Gandhi's remark in which he had said that the state government was more concerned to install statues rather than setting up power plants during his visit to Amethi on Friday.

In her White Paper, `Janta Khud Faisla Kare' (Public Should Decide Itself), chief minister said that even though power generation in the state rose from 15.5 MW in 1947 to 4700 MW till 1989, the improvement process has been stalled since then. She said that if one leaves aside 10 months of BSP rule between 1989 and 2002, the only addition was that of 1000 MW Anpara-B. But, that too went off the state ambit following carving out of the Uttarakhand in 2000.

She specifically blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for further aggravating the crisis by handing over 420 MW Unchhahar thermal power station in 1992 and then the 440 MW Tanda thermal power station to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in 2000.

As a result, the state happens to be in a position to provide only 6500 MW as against the demand of between 7500-8000 MW leaving a gap of at least 1000 MW which often spikes to 3000 MW in the peak hours.