BJP state chief Poonia targets Raj govt over ‘scarcity’ of coal

Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia on Tuesday held the Congress government responsible for "scarcity" of coal in thermal power plants of the state, and alleged that the ruling dispensation neither claimed its share of coal in time nor placed its demand for the same.

Poonia was here to visit Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat whose mother passed away on Sunday.

Talking to media at Jodhpur Circuit House, he questioned the state government's vision in striking a balance between demand and availability of coal.

"Had this government been visionary, it would have placed the demand for coal in time to avoid the power generation crisis in all the six thermal power plants in the state," the BJP leader said.

He also expressed doubts over the government's efforts to develop alternative sources of energy, and alleged that the work for turning the western part of the state into a 'solar energy hub' was not being done with the desired vision.

Poonia added that instead of trading charges and engaging in hollow arguments, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should focus on resolution of the crisis through better management.

He also cited a statement of the Coal India that the "state government did not place demand for coal the entire year and failed to pay its dues".

He also asked why there was no production of coal in the state despite the government having its own mines.

"And now, Gehlot is levelling baseless charges against the Centre to hide his own failure despite the fact that the Union government has been ensuring supply of coal as per the state's demand," the BJP state chief asserted.

On Gehlot's recent remarks that he would be here for next 15-20 years and form the government again, Poonia said, "Gehlot is a magician, but not an astrologer. His arithmetic is not good and saying this in vanity." He also demanded a CBI inquiry in the REET paper leak episode.

The saffron party has been demanding CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the recently conducted Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers-2021 (REET) while the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has demanded state Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra's resignation.

The alleged mastermind -- Batti Lal Meena -- along with another person Shivdas Meena was arrested in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath along with another person on Sunday by a team of the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG).

PTI CORR SRY

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)