NCP chief apprehensive of renegotiation outcome

Our Political Bureau

Mumbai, May 22: THE Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday expressed serious apprehensions over the outcome of the Madhav Godbole renegotiation committee with the Dabhol Power Company (DPC) due to its negative attitude.

Mr Pawar told reporters at the sidelines of a social function here that renegotiation is the only way out to resolve the Dabhol crisis. However, he reiterated that he did not see a positive outcome which would emerge from the committee as its attitude is a negative one.

Mr Pawar, who has already announced that the DPC’s decision to issue a preliminary termination notice is a step in utter haste, warned that if the power purchase agreement (PPA) is repudiated, it would send wrong signals across the country and the world. Mr Pawar’s remarks deserve importance, especially when the DPC has been repeatedly stating that the Godbole Committee’s report on the Dabhol project submitted on April 10 to the state government, cannot be the basis for renegotiations.