Tuesday, August 2 2005 21:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Faced with severe flak from several quarters over delay in restoration of power in some areas, Reliance Energy Ltd Chairman Anil Ambani today (August 2, 2005) denied any negligence on the part of the company and said he was willing to court arrest if the authorities wanted so.

Asked about reports that Government could arrest some REL officials over delay in restoration of power supply, Ambani said, "Arrest me, I am available here."

"I am not getting into a blame game. Taking action under the law is a privilege of the Government and authorities. Putting a group of 100 people behind bars would not give power to my 45,000 consumers," he said, adding, let the law take its own course.

"There is no negligence, no lapse. Challenges may be underestimated by the system," Ambani told a press conference here to convened to brief about the power situation.

Regretting inconvenience caused to the consumers, he said the disaster was unpredictable, intensity was not understood and complexity of trying to come back to normal was under estimated.

REL is under severe criticism from the Government and the consumers in its certain supply areas, which are sans power since a week when a heavy downpour disrupted normal life.

Ambani also announced a Rs 100 crore disaster management plan to cope with unprecedented natural calamities in future.

The company would restore power to the 21,000 residential consumers within 12 hours, provided there was no downpour.

It would replace about 90 transformers in the hard-hit areas and about 50 transformers were being sourced from Delhi and rest from within Maharashtra.