AFTER ENRON, the Dadri project involved the second biggest power scam in the country, said former Prime Minister and Jan Morcha leader VP Singh here today.
He said the project had failed to come up even two years after Reliance signed an agreement with the State Government.
Talking to mediapersons about his recent march to Bacheda village, where the power plant is supposed to come up, he said he was stopped by the administration en route. He added that poor villagers became unnecessary victims of police wrath. They were woken up from sleep in their houses and beaten mercilessly by the PAC, though they had not participated in any agitation.
“We had gone with the intention of demanding electricity which had been promised to us following acquisition of land belonging to poor farmers.
In the past two years, instead of a power plant, only a small office-like structure has come up, much to the chagrin of the people of the State.”
As the power plant had not come up, farmers should be given back their land, he demanded.
He criticised the State Government for handing over the project to Reliance without inviting tenders. He said people of the State wanted affordable power, but the rate at which the company planned to sell power to the people was yet to be fixed. He pointed an accusing finger at the State Government for giving 60 per cent subsidy to Reliance in the acquisition of land. He said in such cases, the entire cost was borne by the industrialist, but in this case special concessions, by way of subsidy, were granted to Reliance.
{{/usCountry}}He criticised the State Government for handing over the project to Reliance without inviting tenders. He said people of the State wanted affordable power, but the rate at which the company planned to sell power to the people was yet to be fixed. He pointed an accusing finger at the State Government for giving 60 per cent subsidy to Reliance in the acquisition of land. He said in such cases, the entire cost was borne by the industrialist, but in this case special concessions, by way of subsidy, were granted to Reliance.
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