Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday retaliated to the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) statement on the party leader and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s open letter to Chief Minister Raghubar Das for duping people on Rural LED Street Light project.

JMM Spokesperson Tanuj Khatri attacked on the State BJP Pratul Shahdeo statement in which he said on Monday in a press meet that Soren is leveling baseless allegation on the issue without knowing the facts.

Hitting hard on the State Government, Kahtri said that in open letter issued by the party leader Soren it was clearly mentioned with reference to Memorandum issued by Rural Works Department on LED Street Light price that the Government’s price of 24 Watt Led Street light is Rs 1,350 per unit, cost of arm clap wire is Rs 415 per unit, fitting cost is Rs 120 per unit, the administrative expenses of EESL company (which is executing the project) is 3 per cent, which is Rs 56.55 and the total cost is Rs 1,941.55 excluding GST whereas in any open market the cost of the light is Rs  950, cost of clamp wire and fitting will not exceed Rs 300, the total cost will not cross Rs 1,250.

“Through this way the Government is paying Rs 700 more on each light whereas in 4562 Panchayats of the State, a total of 9, 12, 400 lights has to be installed.

In this way the Government is spending more Rs 63.84 crore on the project,” said Khatri.

Criticising the State Government, the party Spokesperson saidthat had the Government executed the project on village level then the youths of the village would have earned and the money would have circulated in villages.

Fitting cost is only Rs  600 to 700, is village youths not able to fit the lights, he added.

Hitting hard on the Government on electricity connections to households, Khatri said that there are still a large numbers of cases in several blocks that there is no availability of electricity.