BATTERED GOVERNMENT FACES ENRON FIRE 

New Delhi, March 9 :     The Opposition has added one more weapon to its armoury against the Vajpayee government. After blasting the government for bungling in defence and steel, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) is now planning to rake up the Enron power project controversy. Accusing the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government in Maharashtra of unduly favouring US power giant Enron, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh today told a press conference: ?The second phase of the Enron project will start in a month. But, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board does not really need power from Enron. It already has surplus.? Six years ago, the then Congress government led by Sharad Pawar signed a memorandum of understanding with Enron, ignoring Opposition protests which alleged the terms of the agreement, especially the high tariffs, were tilted in favour of Enron. The Shiv Sena-BJP had launched a scathing attack on the Pawar government, accusing it of bartering the country?s interests. However, after winning the polls and coming to power, the Sena-BJP government re-negotiated the terms and clinched the deal. The controversy has resurfaced now as Enron readies to enter the second phase of the project. ?We want the government to scrap the second phase. The Opposition will mount pressure on the government both in and outside Parliament,? Amar Singh said.