Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday alleged the policies of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre were “anti-Gujarat.”
Dedicating to the nation a 250 MW expansion project of the lignite-based power station at Nani Naroli in Surat district, Mr. Modi said the cost of power generation in the State had gone up because of the Centre's “anti-Gujarat” policies.
He said the Centre was not allowing the State to draw coal from the Nagpur coal fields in neighbouring Maharashtra, forcing the State to bring coal from far-off Bihar and Jharkhand. The long distance transportation was costing power consumers in the State more, he said, but added that nothing could stop Gujarat from progressing rapidly on the path of development.
Mr. Modi said two more power projects of 500 MW capacity would soon come up in the south Gujarat region.
Mr. Modi said cotton growers in the State suffered heavy losses as the Centre first imposed a ban on export of cotton and then imposed a license fee for its export. He said that because of the superior quality of the produce in the State, farmers had been exporting cotton to various countries.
