NAGPUR, DECEMBER 15: The Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has said all options including review of the Enron's Dhabol Power Project were open before the government."The state cannot afford to buy power at Enron's present rates," Deshmukh said. He was addressing a press conference after the winter session of the legislature was prorouged here.The Chief Minister justified the statement of Finance Minister Jayant Patil that the project with its present tariff, an exhorbitant one at that, had become an unwanted responsibility for the state.The government may consider review of the project or even negotiate with the Enron to reduce the tariff, he said when asked the government decision on the controversial issue.The multinational power giant on its part has not communicated with the government on the tariff issue, he said."Like Enron, the government too, has the option of seeking legal advise," Deshmukh said when pointed out that the company's reported statement that it would initiate legal action against the government if the project was scrapped.Deshmukh also said that the government had decided to make the payments of cotton growers in two instalments besides scrapping the hike in power prices for agricultural pumps and power looms.Meanwhile, the opposition leader Narayan Rane criticised the government for its failure to take a decision on the Enron issue. Talking to reporters, he said the government had failed to find a solution on load shedding which had become a major problem in several parts of the state.Rane also criticised Speaker Arun Gujrathi accusing him of bowing down before the ruling party. "I have not seen such a helpless speaker in my tenure of 12 years in the state legislature," Rane commented."The government could pass only 16 bills," he criticised, adding that the ruling party lacked planning to get the legislations passed.
