Senior Congress MLA and former minister Ram Niwas Rawat on Friday alleged corruption by Madhya Pradesh government officials in the purchase of solar energy. The matter came up during the Question Hour when Rawat accused that conditions of the MoU signed between government and private solar power companies were altered from solar thermal system to the solar plate system.
He even named an official and said the person has applied for VRS after being accused of irregularities. Rawat alleged that a complaint has been registered at the Lokayukta for corruption in the solar power deal and yet “the government keeps sleeping over it”.
Minister for energy Paras Jain argued that at present 800 MW of power is being produced by two private companies which signed MoU with government in 2010. Rawat said that with one company for 25 MW power, it was decided to purchase the same at Rs 15 per unit. Paras Jain agreed the decision was made but said, the government purchased power from solar plants at a much lesser Rs 8 per unit.
“Conditions of the MoU were changed by the official and the government is protecting him,” Rawat said in the House. “The cost of production has gone down because of the change from the solar thermal system to solar plate system. Is the government going to conduct a probe against the official involved in alteration of the MoU? Will the minister constitute an assembly committee of legislators to inquire into the irregularities?” he asked.
Minister Paras Jain told the Congress MLA to go to court with the issue. This infuriated the Congress’ MLAs and Rawat said, “We go to court and as government you keep supporting corruption and protecting cultprits.”
Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh observed, “They will keep gining protection to corruption and we will keep raising the issue.” Senior Congress MLA from Lahar seat Dr Govind Singh told Speaker Sitasharan Sharma, “If minister does not want to reply or gives wrong facts in the assembly, you have to rap the stick. An MoU signed by the government has been arbitrarily changed by an official and there is no probe into it?”
Source:TOI
