Party spokesman Salman Khursheed said, some of the constituents of the ruling coalition had opposed the Bill as they feared that the scheme of free supply of power to the farmers may come to an end if the bill was passed.

However, the BJP-led government had assured that the Bill would not end the free-power supply scheme as the State governments could continue to provide power subsidy whichever section of people they wanted but should repay the electricity boards the amount equal to the subsidy, he added. Khursheed said, the government did not say how the State governments would be able to pay the subsidy amount that should be made subsequent to any tariff being fixed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission to be formed under the provisions of the ordinance.

Khursheed said theCongress would support the Bill if a consensus was evolved after the government clearly states how it proposes to amend the Legislation.

He also took exception to government announcements about clearance of thousands of crores of rupees worth of proposals for direct foreign investment, especially in the mining sector, without giving details.

Another party spokesman Ajit Jogi said, the party would comment on the new Prasar Bharati bill once the Legislation was introduced. On the Bill for reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies, he said the government would extend whole-hearted support to it.

VANANCHAL BILL: RANCHI: The Congress on Wednesday staged dharnas in the entire Jharkhand region demanding introduction of the Vananchal Bill in the current Budget session in Parliament. Reacting to the BJP's move to defer tabling of the Vananchal Bill, the Congress activists raised slogans denigrating the government at the Centre and charging it with trying to betray the people.

In thesecond phase of its agitational programme to pressurise the Centre for introduction of the bill, the Jharkhand Regional Congress Committee would hold dharnas and demonstrations on May 30.