Mumbai: Amid ever growing demand for power, Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Saturday said each state should generate electricity of its own.
"Today, the country generates about two lakh MW of electricity. In last one year, we increased the generation by a record 20,500 MW. But I am not satisfied. Power is on concurrent list (of the Constitution). Every state should generate electricity of its own," Shinde said while speaking at a symposium to mark the birth centenary of Maharashtra`s first Chief Minister Y B Chavan.
Currently, many states have power generation units of their own but are not able to meet the demand and end up depending on the Centre to make good the shortfall.
Claiming that he did not discriminate against any state when it came to supplying electricity, he said in a lighter vein that he tried to give different treatment to Maharashtra and for which he was often criticised.
Speaking on the reservation given to the backward class communities, Shinde said "it should be given till it is required".
He said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had shown courage in appointing him as Chief Minister of Maharashtra (in 2003/04). "I myself never thought that a person from Dalit community would become Chief Minister of Maharashtra. But Congress President Sonia Gandhi showed that courage and had sent me here and you all accepted me".
PTI
