TIRUCHIRAPPALLI: Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, who kicked up a row with his Chief Minister "Jayalaithaa is inaccessible" remark, today dismissed as "baseless and false" her criticism of the Centre's UDAY scheme meant for the benefit of state discoms.
"The so-called explantion by the CM is baseless and false," he told reporters here.
Goyal said UDAY, aimed at benefiting distribution companies, will be helpful to every citizen of the country and that it would save Tamil Nadu Rs 22,000 crore in three years.
"Not a single provision of UDAY will affect Tamil Nadu," he said about Jayalalithaa's criticism of the quarterly revision of power tariff proposed in it.
Goyal, who accompanied BJP chief Amit Shah for an election rally of the party here, slammed the "arrogance of this (state) government" for his not being able to meet the Chief Minister.
The Minister said he had sent a Central team to Tamil Nadu to explain about UDAY "where every single concern (of Tamil Nadu) was addressed."
He also criticised the state for not joining the LED bulb scheme of the NDA government which he said would ensure "every single bill is reduced."
Reacting to Goyal's remarks, Jayalalithaa had on April 11 said UDAY will benefit only private power-generating companies and banks and not the people of her state.
Noting that power generation corporations in many states were making losses and hence could neither repay bank loans nor purchase power from private firms, she had said the private sector too was unable to repay its debt.
UDAY was devised on the basis of state governments sharing the debt burden of discoms so that they can once again get bank loans. Ultimately, the scheme would be beneficial to private firms and banks, Jayalalithaa had said at an election rally.
She had also rejected the charge that she was inaccessible.