“Raje promotes crony capitalism by aiding private companies” alleges Congress

The Congress on Friday accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje (BJP) of promoting crony capitalism by helping three private electricity companies to profiteer at the cost of state exchequer.

Addressing a press conference, Congress National Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed that people of Rajasthan have suffered a "loss of ₹6,670 crore due to purchase of electricity at 100 %  above the contracted rates".

"The BJP government's motto appears to be let private electricity companies profiteer, let people and exchequer suffer,” Surjewala alleged while citing RTI replies.

He alleged that a "culture of crony capitalism" was being perpetuated, propagated and promoted by Vasundhara Raje government.

The Rajasthan government purchased power from a company "at a higher than power purchase agreement (PPA) rate between 2013-14 and 2017-18, thus, paying ₹5406.50 crore more" and "an excess amount of ₹1376.50 crore" to another company, he alleged.