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Journalism of Courage
Just 48 hours after Sharad Pawar ridiculed Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for promising free power to farmers, his party today decided to bestow the largesse on the 24 lakh farmers in Maharashtra.
The decision, which will cost the exchequer more than Rs 1,500 crore, was taken at a meeting of key NCP functionaries in Delhi today. The top brass had met to discuss the strategy for the coming Assembly polls.
Pawar has now directed the State Energy Minister, Jaidutt Kshirsagar, to bring the proposal for free power before the State Cabinet tomorrow, said sources. Officials in the State Secretariat were asked to prepare the Cabinet note late this evening.
In fact, Energy Department officials, who had already left for the day, were asked to return to their offices to draft the proposal. Kshirsagar, his deputy Rajendra Darda, Energy Secretary B.P. Pandey and MSEB Chairman Jayant Kawale were working on it.
A week ago, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had also indicated that his government was keen to provide free power to farmers, although his ally, the NCP, which holds the Energy portfolio, had not made its stand clear then.
Today, the NCP top brass decided the decision was vital to appease rural voters in Maharashtra even though the administration has strongly advised against it.
Besides straining the state’s finances, free power is likely to overburden the Maharashtra State Electricity Board’s ageing infrastructure. The state’s current power deficit stands at more than 2,000 MW, some of which is made up by purchasing power from Central agencies.
NCP president R.R. Patil today said the government was keen to announce the package as it wanted to extend a helping hand to farmers.
‘‘It is obvious that NCP’s hand has been forced by Thackeray’s promise of free power which he made at Aurangabad,’’ said a party official. With the anti-incumbency factor staring hard at the Democratic Front, NCP has little choice, he added.
‘‘Two successive poor monsoons have hurt farmers. Now they are ready to believe whatever the Opposition promises. With this kind of situation, we cannot afford to ignore the issue,’’ said a top NCP functionary.
Incidentally, Pawar had ridiculed Thackeray’s announcement of free power early this week, saying the Shiv Sena had failed to provide any such relief even though it had held the Power portfolio in the NDA Government for five years.
