Repeated lies does not make it a truth : Congress
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani today here launched a scathing attack on BJP leaders and accused them of misleading the people of the state through baseless statements made on a daily basis. Responding to the allegations made by BJP MLA Bikram Thakur, the ministers said that the Chief Minister has already clarified the matter on the floor of the Vidhan Sabha and also presented related documents amid the Assembly. The opposition’s accusations hold no ground. “No matter how many times a lie is repeated, it does not become the truth,” they remarked.
The Ministers said that the solar power project at Pekhubela in Una district was far superior on every front when compared to the Lakadia solar project in Gujarat. They said that the 35 MW Lakadia project was awarded in June 2022 for Rs 215.79 crore, although its estimated cost was originally Rs. 140 crore and the construction timeline was set at 30 months. Even now, the project remains incomplete. Its Direct Current (DC) capacity stands at 38.05 MW, whereas the 32 MW Pekhubela project, built with state-of-the-art technology, has a DC capacity of 45.05 MW which was significantly higher than Lakadia’s Solar Power project .
They said that the Pekhubela project was awarded in May 2023 for Rs. 220 crore and completed in a record time of six months. It also includes an eight-year operation and maintenance contract as part of the project cost while the Lakadia project includes only five years. Moreover, the guaranteed annual power generation at Pekhubela is 20.66 lakh units as compared to 20.14 lakh units at Lakadia. In case of underperformance the Pekhubela developer was liable to pay a penalty of Rs. 3.71 per unit whereas there was no such clause in the Lakadia contract.
They said that the developers of the Pekhubela project have provided a 10 percent bank guarantee, compared to just 5 percent in the Lakadia project. Pekhubela also features a 132 kV transmission system while Lakadia has only a 66 kV capacity. These facts clearly demonstrate that the Pekhubela project outperforms Lakadia in terms of technology, economics and overall project management.
The Ministers said that the BJP has been unsettled ever since the Congress regained its strength of 40 MLAs and was now attempting to defame the government through baseless allegations.
