Mayawati meets PM, demands Rs 2000 crore for power supply

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded Rs 2000 crore to pay for the 10 hours of power supply in 58 drought-hit districts of the state.

She said the state government was buying power at the rate of Rs 8 per unit to provide 10 hours of power supply to the drought-hit districts including Bundelkhand and demanded that the Centre pay Rs 2000 crore needed for buying power, official sources said here.

Mayawati also sought a "positive response" from the Centre in approving a Rs 7789 crore package submitted by the state government to the Agriculture ministry to carry out various long-term and short-term measures.

According to sources, the CM also referred to the A S Samra Committee recommendations regarding infrastructure development in drought-prone areas.

She sought a positive response from the Prime Minister on a Rs 3866 crore package sent by the UP government to the Centre to set up power and irrigation facilities in the drought prone and drought hit districts based on the Samra committee recommendations.

She lamented that the Centre has provided UP only with Rs 15.5 crore package to develop communication network, including roads in naxal prone districts. UP had demanded Rs 84 crore for the purpose.

Mayawati also informed Singh that UP has prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with incidents like the Mumbai terror attacks.