Chandigarh, September 8
Though private companies have entered almost all major social and infrastructure sectors, but the Punjab government is yet to set up any independent mechanism for protecting the interest of consumers of goods produced by these companies.
The companies have established themselves in health and related sectors such as medical education as well as other academic areas, housing sector and also in the roads and fly-over sectors. Obviously, the main objective of such companies was to earn maximum profit. A large number of such companies exploit consumers to the hilt and in the absence of any independent mechanism to hear consumers’ complaints people are left to fend for themselves.
In 2002, the state government enacted the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act. There was a provision in the sub-section IV of the Act for setting up the Punjab Infrastructure Regulatory Authority (PIRA) within three months of its passage. However, nobody knows what happened to it till date. Interestingly, the state government had effected amendment in September 2003 in sub-section IV thereby removing the condition of setting up PIRA in three months.
The main objective of setting up PIRA was to deal with the major infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges to be constructed on the BOT basis from its conception to implementation level and to hear objections and complaints from people who directly fund such project.
In other words, private companies built roads and bridges by investing in these sectors and then recover the same from public by levying user charges and setting up toll plazas in 10 or 15 years depending on the conditions laid down in the allotment of contract for such works by PIDB or the PWD (Buildings and Roads).
To deal with cases of over-charging, non-maintenance of roads and
bridges by investing in these sectors and then recover the same from public by levying user charges and setting up toll plazas in 10 or 15 years depending on the conditions laid down in the allotment of contract for such works by PIDB or the PWD (Buildings and Roads).
To deal with cases of over-charging, non-maintenance of roads and bridges properly and to hear objections with regard to the cost of such projects, PIRA was required to be set up. As per the rules the authority was to be headed by non other than a retired Chief Justice or a serving judge of the Supreme Court or a retired Chief Justice or the serving judge of the High Court or a chief secretary or secretary to Government of India.
Following the entry of private companies in the power generation and distribution sector, the Central government has made a provision in the Central Electricity Act for setting up the state regulatory commissions to protect consumers from being exploited. The commission in Punjab calls the shots and a few years ago it had decreased the power tariff after holding public hearings.
People have to pay toll for using Balachaour-Garshankar-Hoshiarpor-Dasuya, Patiala-Samana-Patran and Hoshiarpur-Tanda roads. Some other roads are being constructed on BOT basis.
