Capt seeks Modi’s support to sell power to Pakistan

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the Centre’s support to the state to sell its surplus power to Pakistan or Nepal.

It was Capt’s second meeting with Modi after he became the CM. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes. Later, Amarinder met Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Capt informed Modi that Punjab had 1,000 MW of surplus power and, if supported to sell it to Pakistan or Nepal, the state’s economy would benefit. He justified the proposal on the grounds that the locus of the Goindwal Sahib thermal power plant was contiguous to the International Border.

The CM also sought the Centre’s support in helping farmers diversify. He specifically sought help in instituting a ‘Deficiency Price Payment’ mechanism to encourage a shift from the traditional paddy cultivation.

He demanded that the Centre should shoulder the entire burden to compensate farmers located along the border with Pakistan, who suffer loss on account of frequent imposition of restrictions on cultivations due to security reasons.“Restrictions lead to significantly sub-optimal yields, necessitating higher compensation to farmers than the current Rs10,000 per acre per annum,” Capt Amarinder said.

In the present dispensation, the Centre bears only 50 per cent of the loss.