SP, BSP members stage walkout from Uttar Pradesh Assembly during Question Hour, say state govt failed to increase power production

Lucknow: Alleging that the state government was not working in the interest of power consumers, Samajwadi Party and BSP members on Friday staged a walkout from the Uttar Pradesh assembly during Question Hour.[caption id="attachment_5693501" align="alignleft" width="380"]

File image of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Reuters[/caption]As soon as the House met, SP member Sanjay Garg asked energy minister Shrikant Sharma about the power consumption, production and purchase in the state. Replying to the member, Sharma said power demand changes in accordance with the weather."Between April to October, the demand is between 17,500 MW to 22,000 MW and between November to March it remains between 10,000 MW to 16,000 MW. Presently, average power consumption in the state is 15,800 MW," the minister said.He pointed out that in financial year 2019 to 2020 till January, a total of 1,05,264 million units of power were purchased from various sources. SP members, though, said the government has failed to increase power production.Alleging that the government was not serious about the issue, leader of opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary of SP felt unsatisfied with the reply and staged a walkout with fellow members.Lalji Verma, leader of BSP in the House, said the state government should pass on the benefit to consumers when it claimed to be purchasing power at cheap prices. He also staged a walkout on the issue with the BSP members.Responding to the opposition, the minister said 18 hours power supply is fixed for rural areas, 20 hours for tehsils and 24 hours at district headquarters.In reply to another question by Congress member Ajay Kumar Lallu, Sharma said the losses borne by various distribution companies of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited has reached Rs 82,214.40 crore from Rs 77.47 crore in 2000 to 2001.He said a number of measures have been initiated by the department to bring down the losses of the power corporation.