Stung by criticism after announcing that people will have to bear with power cuts till June next year due to severe power shortage in Odisha, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das today said load-shedding will continue only till next month.
"It's not June, 2016. The power cut will continue till October as the condition has been improving gradually," Das said here.
Stating that the power situation is comparatively better now, the minister claimed he had never said that power cuts will continue till June 2016.
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Stating that duration of power cut has been reduced since two days, the minister said the condition will improve further by Durga Puja in October.
"We have been lining up at least three thermal power stations which may provide required electricity," Das said.
The minister on September 12 had said that the state was facing shortage of about 500-550 MW of electricity every day due to reduction in hydro-power generation, load-shedding is likely to continue till June next year.
This apart, the minister had said, the demand for power had also increased abnormally in the state. "Normally, the demand peaks in May-June (summer) touching 4000 MW. But this year, we have crossed that level. Currently the peak hour demand is about 4100 MW against the summer peak hour demand of 4,000 MW," he had said.
BJP, however, accused the state government of failing to manage the power demand in Odisha.
"How can a power surplus state suddenly face shortage of electricity," state BJP president KV Singhdeo said asked.
The energy minister barely a fortnight ago had claimed that Odisha was a power surplus state, he said.
Singhdeo alleged a secret agenda has been hatched by the state government to sell energy to other states that prompted government for load shedding.
Denying the allegation, the energy minister said, "The BJP is making such allegation as they are in opposition.
