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Journalism of Courage
NAGPUR, JAN 21: Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, while categorically denying that he had ever spoken about scrapping the Enron project, said on Sunday that a committee would be set up in a day or two to review the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the American multinational.Deshmukh was speaking to journalists after distributing prizes at the conclusion of the Late Khashaba Jadhav national kabaddi tournament, at Katol.
The committee will comprise technical experts whose names are being finalised, the Chief Minister said, adding that one of the names under consideration is that of former Union home secretary Madhao Godbole. The Enron imbroglio is reaching a critical stage and if permission is granted to the second stage of the project, the state will have to pay a heavy price, Deshmukh further said.
The Central Government is ready to help the State in tackling the ticklish issue, but we have not so far prepared the plan which Power Minister Suresh Prabhu had asked for. Our attempt will be to see to it that the State Government finds it affordable to pay the Enron bill, the Chief Minister also said.
Deshmukh denied any move to retrench Government employees. It is only that the Government proposes to employ new workers as per the requirement, he clarified.
The Chief Minister also clarified that by proposing to ‘close down’ the Maharashtra State Textile Corporation mills, the Government only means to stop investing in these loss-making mills. The Government is ready to hand over the mills to willing private parties or cooperatives, Deshmukh said.
The Chief Minister refused to make an exception in Nagpur’s Empress Mills case, adding that the Government, however, would welcome proposals from workers’ leaders. “If the workers are not agreeable to the ‘Gujarat pattern’, the Government has an open mind on other options,†Deshmukh said.
