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Don't mix politics with Enron issue: Thackeray

Priya Ganapati in Bombay

Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday appealed to all political parties not to mix the Enron issue with politics. "Leave Enron alone," he urged the Sena workers.

The Shiv Sena chief stated this at his meeting with Enron Corporation chairman Kenneth Lay. The Enron chief met with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray for about an hour at his residence to impress upon the need for the continuance of the Dabhol power project.

"I am requesting all the party members not to mix politics with the Enron issue. Let Enron supply the power and we will supply them with the 'energy'," Thackeray said at the end of the meeting.

Lay's meeting with Thackeray was the last appointment on his agenda before the Enron chairman leaves for the US.

"The meeting with Mr Thackeray, as someone who has followed this project closely, was to know his thoughts to have the problem resolved so that a world class project can get on with supplying the power that this country needs," Lay said.

Over the last three days, Lay has meet several Central mandarins, Maharashtra government officials, politicians, bankers, lenders and others involved with DPC to lobby for the project.

Lay indicated that Enron might consider a proposal to separate LNG and the power part of the Dabhol project. There has been a demand for the separation of the generation of LNG and the power projects as many believe that LNG would find more takers in the country rather than power.

"There might be reason to separate the two, but that will not change the power project in any way," Lay said.

Apart from these statements, Lay has little to show in terms of the outcome of his visit. The impasse continues and the last three days have only seen the reiteration of the stand of all the parties involved in the project.

However, the one thing that emerged from his various meetings is that there is now a strong demand that the Centre play a 'more active role' in the project.

Reiterating this positions Lay said, "The Centre will have to play a significant role. There are 40 different banks who have lent (money) to the project. The US Export Import Bank, the Belgium Export Bank, the Japan Export Import Bank, the Government of Oman, Abu Dhabi... they are all involved. It is an enormous project with international ramifications," he said.

Lay also hoped that the Maharashtra State Electricity Board would fulfill its contractual obligation that was signed five years ago.

He was optimistic that an amicable settlement would be reached soon.

Earlier in the day, Lay met with officials of IDBI, the largest Indian lender in the project. Last night, he discussed the project with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and senior MSEB officials, including MSEB chairman Vinay Bansal.

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