BOMBAY, 3 March 2005 — The Congress party-led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra yesterday went back on its election pledge to provide free electricity to the state’s farmers.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told Arab News, “Everything will be over if we continue to give free electric power. The state is facing acute shortage of three thousand megawatts of power. If we continue to supply free power to farmers, the day will not be far when there will be no electricity available in the state, nor bills and everything will come to an end”. The government simply cannot afford to provide free power anymore, he said.
Deshmukh yesterday presented his views on the issues of free power, cotton purchase policy and slums demolition in Bombay before the Congress monitoring council meeting presided by state Congress chief Prabha Rau.
Some members of the council said that the government should honor the assurances made in the election manifesto and continue to provide free electricity to farmers.
“The government is committed to honor the assurances made in the poll manifesto, but the government cannot run only on sentiments,” the chief minister replied in a harsh tone.
