AAP alleges Rs 22,000-cr scam in Maharashtra’s power sector

The Maharashtra government has lost Rs 22,000 crore in the last three years due to corruption and inefficiencies in the power department and generation/distribution companies, alleged the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Maharashtra unit on Thursday afternoon. “Consumers are forced to pay steep tariffs due to this Rs 22,000-crore power scam by the politicians and bureaucrats over the years,” claimed Anjali Damania, convener of AAP. She demanded an immediate inquiry into the matter and audit of the accounts of the companies. Damania is the AAP candidate for Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. She will be taking on former BJP president Nitin Gadkari. [caption id=“attachment_1401153” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] Damania further said that the Maharashtra State Power Generation Co Ltd (Mahagenco) needed to use its resources optimally. “Mahagenco needs to use the existing resources like coal to the optimum level to increase production. It is not lifting the coal allocated to them and is importing it instead, which is resulting in increasing the cost of production. If the simple measures are taken, then power tariffs can be reduced by 50 per cent,” claimed Damania. Mahagenco has said in the past that the quality of coal allocated does not match their requirements and some imports are unavoidable. Preeti Sharma Menon, spokesperson for the AAP said, “The Mahagenco is completely irresponsible and badly managed. The NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minster Ajit Pawar and other bureaucrats are responsible for the entire mess in the power industry.” When asked about how the AAP calculated the loss of Rs 22,000 crore, Damania said, “It is the comparison of the figures of the Mahagenco and National Thermal Power Corporation in the past three years.” However, the AAP leaders got some facts wrong when they claimed that the post of the chairman Maharashtra Electric Regulatory Commission is vacant since the past four years. In fact, it has been vacant for the past four months. The NCP refuted the allegation, terming it as baseless. “The AAP is going to sell Mumbai for its election funds and donations, which can be concluded from their recent closed door meeting with city builders in Worli,” claimed Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson.