Godbole interim report on Enron by April 10

Godbole interim report on Enron by April 10
Express News Service

MUMBAI, APRIL 2: The Congress-led Democratic Front government will table the report of the highlevel Godbole Committee set up to review the multicrore Enron power project before both the houses during the on-going budget session of the state legislature.

``We expect to receive the interim report of the committee by April 10. It will be then discussed by the cabinet and then placed before the legislature along with the Action Taken Report,'' Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

Following the demand made by a section of the constituents of the Democratic Front, Deshmukh had set up a committee headed by former Union Home Secretary Madhav Godbole on February 2, 2001 to examine all aspects of the controversial power project.

On non-payment of dues to Enron, Deshmukh said it was the responsibility of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. So far as his government was concerned, it will not intervene at this juncture, since an application has already been submitted to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, he said.

``We have already requested Vajpayee to personally resolve the crisis, since we do not require the Enron power. Our demand is that either the Centre or a public sector undertaking should procure the power generated by Enron,'' Deshmukh said.

On the proposal for trifurcation of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, Deshmukh said while a decision was taken for unbundling of the board, his government was still awaiting a proposal from the MSEB. ``Since we have not received the proposal, I don't think a bill for trifurcation will be introduced during the on-going budget session,'' Deshmukh said.