BHOPAL: Sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia took energy minister Pradyumnya Singh Tomar to task during a presentation about subsidy on electricity bills on Tuesday.
She even said, ìKhambe pad chadne se vibhag nahin chalta (One cannot run a department by climbing up poles).î
Before speaking about the subsidy, the minister must explain the functioning of his department, Yashodhara Raje said.
The department is not working well, but the minister has made a presentation on subsidy before the Cabinet, she said.
Nevertheless, when Yashodhara Raje was pulling up Tomar, he continued to say, ìMaharajÖ MaharajÖî
The energy department made a presentation on reducing subsidy on the power bills of farmers and on those of householders.
According to the presentation, only those who belong to the Sambal group should be given subsidy of Rs 100 for 100 units.
For other people, it should be Rs 300 for 100 units. The presentation also spoke about the reduction of subsidy on the power bills of farmers.
School education minister Inder Singh Parmar and agriculture minister Kamal Patel were opposed to reducing subsidy on farmersí power bills.
They said that it would enrage the farmers. The ministers said the subsidy which the farmers and other people are being given should be publicied so that everybody may know the relief the government is giving on power bills.
After watching the presentation, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that a team of ministers would be set up and a decision taken on the basis of their recommendations.
The officials of the energy department said that a sum of Rs 14,500 crore was granted for subsidy, but there was burden of Rs 21,000 crore on them.
Besides, there was an outstanding amount of Rs 9,000 crore last year, they said.
The power suppliers are mounting pressure on the department. Against this backdrop, money is required for giving subsidy to the staffers of the department, they said.
