Hyderabad, August 6: Criticising the Centre of ignoring the State interests by diverting the gas quota to Maharashtra, YSRCP has said that it would take to agitation if the allocation is not revoked.
“Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy has mortgaged the self-pride of the State as such an irrational decision cannot take place without his knowledge. Should the Centre fail to reverse its decision to divert our gas quota, we will take the issue to the people,” party spokesperson Janak Prasad told reporters here on Monday.
The Centre’s decision to divert 2 mmscmd (million metric standard cubic metre per day) of gas from KG basin to Ratnagiri Power Plant in Maharashtra, will cut off 400 MW from our gas-based power plants resulting in a loss of 10 million units of power which in turn will escalate the severe power crisis in the State, he said.
YSR has written many letters to the Prime Minister around 2008 about the importance to saturate the State needs first before exporting to other plants, he said adding that the players, including Reliance, are not exploiting gas in the KG basin to the full extent as their agreement will come for review in 2014 and there is possibility of a fat hike.
On one hand we are not getting our due share and our gas-based power plants are working much below the installed capacity, he said.
Ratnagiri Power Plant has a checkered career as the US-based Enron Company could not decide whether the plant should use naptha, thermal or gas for generating power. Finally it sold and left shop. Now the Centre diverting our quota to Maharashtra is objectionable and if it is done under the nose of Petroleum Minister who hails from our State, it tantamount to mortgaging our self-pride, he said.
His remarks that the decision was taken by a cabinet sub-committee (Empowered Group of Ministers) is not acceptable nor is it logical. Jaipal Reddy has to firmly put his foot down and take care of State interests, he said.
The Centre has been looking after the interests of corporate houses and has been adopting policies that has stagnated coal production which discourages thermal power generation and wants to give a fillip to gas-based power generation, more so Reliance and other companies operating in KG basin are not working to the full capacity with a view that the prices will go up in 2014, he said.
This apart, the Centre which has 15 per cent of power at its discretion has been ignoring our State and allocating more share to Kerala, Karnataka and Kerala though we have a large contingent of MPs, he said.
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