The state purchased electricity worth a staggering Rs 47,000 crore from five private companies in the last six years, the Opposition Congress said in the assembly on Monday.
The state purchased electricity worth a staggering Rs 47,000 crore from five private companies in the last six years, the Opposition Congress said in the assembly on Monday.
Initiating the debate on budgetary demands of energy and petrochemicals department, Congress's deputy leader in the assembly Shailesh Parmar, said that the state was purchasing large quantity of power from private players even as its own plants were either lying idle or were under-utilised.
"The state government purchased 1.75 lakh Million Units (MUs) of electricity worth Rs 47,305 crore from five private companies in last six years. Electricity of more than Rs 20,800 crore was purchased from Adani Power alone," Parmar said in the House.
Quoting various figures, the senior MLA said that power generated by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) and government-owned independent power producers had fallen sharply in spite of increase in capacity over the years.
"As against this, generation by private sector companies like Tata, Essar and Torrent has gone up by nearly nine times from nearly 6,000 MUs in 2001-02 to 54,717 MUs in 2016-17," he said further.
Taking on the government, Parmar also said that adequate power was not being supplied to farmers.
"In 2013-14, share of agriculture sector in power consumption was 22.25%, which went up just marginally to 22.50% in 2017-18. Gujarat supplies electricity to farmers for only eight hours a day, and ranks 16th among states in supplying power to farms," he said.
According to the Congress MLA, share of industries in power consumption rose from 41.7% in 20013-14 to 51.1% in 2017-18. Figures provided by him show that from 9,187 MUs in 2001-02, electricity consumption by industries jumped by more than four times to 38,842 MUs in 2016-17. The MLA further said that when compared to other states, electricity was costlier in Gujarat. He said that Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and other states charge less than the state for the first slab for residential consumers.
Energy minister Saurabh Patel, however, defended purchase of electricity from private producers saying power purchased by competitive bidding is cheaper. He also said that power supplied by private players is cheaper.
"Gujarat is the leading state in power sector. State's power generation capacity went up from 8,756 MW in 2002 to 26,720 MW at present. The state's per capita power consumption is 2,279 units as against national average of 1,122 units," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Power sector")
)
Quoting various figures, the senior MLA said that power generated by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) and government-owned independent power producers had fallen sharply in spite of increase in capacity over the years.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}