BJP protests power cuts, minister cites Puja work

Citing “long power cuts” in Kolkata, BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday threatened to hold demonstrations outside the power department office in the city.

Alleging that the TMC government has failed to ensure an adequate supply of coal to thermal power stations due to lack of money, Adhikar, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said: “The state government has become so bankrupt that it cannot supply adequate coal to thermal power stations. As a result, the power stations cannot run to its full capacity. They have been forced to reduce their production. Due to this, there is a deficit of 1200 MW of power in the state,” said Adhikari.

“The state government has failed to generate adequate power for its people. When the people are plunged into darkness, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is running away to Spain,” Adhikari said, referring to Banerjee’s proposed visit to Spain later this month to attract investments for West Bengal.

Reacting to Adhikari’s claims, state Power Minister Aroop Biswas said such power cuts are taking place due to maintenance work. “Preparation is going on for Durga Puja. Transformers are being replaced. This is being done by making prior announcements. Due to these activities, people are a bit inconvenienced,” he said.