Jaipur, May 24 : Rajasthan Energy Minister Heeralal Nagar has blamed former chief minister Ashok Gehlot for the power crisis in the state, saying the previous regime did not work towards strengthening the power generation and distribution system in the last five years.

Nagar said that "the state's hands are tied with the Gehlot government's agreement signed during Rabi season to meet the power demand in the state".

"Now we have to return the borrowed electricity to other states," the Minister said.

The previous Ashok Gehlot-led government had signed agreements for about 34,800 lakh units of electricity with other states to meet the electricity demand in Rajasthan during the Rabi season. The state received the electricity units from October 2023 to February 2024.

"Now, despite facing the power crisis, the state energy department is returning 200 to 225 lakh units of electricity to other states each day. This is about 5 per cent of the daily electricity demand in the state. There has been demand-supply disbalance due to these units being transferred to other states," an official said on Friday.

Nagar, meanwhile, said the agreement was made in such a manner that "we are now bound to return the borrowed electricity in the peak season".

According to the agreement, Rajasthan has to return the electricity units it borrowed every month from March to September.

Due to the scorching heat in the state, the demand for electricity increases in the months of April, May and June. "But the department has to return the electricity even in this peak season," an official said.

Out of the total 34,800 lakh units of electricity, the department is yet to return 21,536 lakh units of electricity to other states in the next four months.

/IANS