Corruption must go if PSPCL has to flourish, says CMD

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 2

Known for not mincing words, Baldev Singh Sran, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), today told a full house of industrialists here that the main reason for the power utility not being able to deliver services as it should, was the corruption among some employees in the utility.

Sran, who was addressing businessmen from all over Punjab, during an interactive session organised by the PHD Chamber on the role of PSPCL in promoting solar power in the state, admitted that corruption at the junior level in the PSPCL was hampering effective delivery of their services.

Industry has made our people corrupt

I hope you don’t mind my saying… but industry people have made our people corrupt. They ask for money and you give it to them. You opt for the easy way to get your work done. We have to abolish this system of giving money to expedite work. —Baldev Singh Sran, CMD of PSPCL

“Though there are other reasons too, the main reason is corruption. I hope you don’t mind my saying… but industrialists have made our people corrupt. Our employees ask for money and you give it to them. You opt for the easy way to get your work done. I would request that the PSPCL has to grow. For this, we have to abolish this system of giving money to expedite work,” he said.

The interaction was on issues concerning increasing the solar power generation capacity in the state. A real estate developer from Mohali, during in an informal interaction with Sran later also gave an account of corruption in the Power Department. “The officer keeps increasing the ‘rate’ for getting the work done. The file does not move till the officer in Mohali is satisfied,” rued the developer. Some industrialists also lamented about the delay in getting power meters and being asked to ‘pay bribes’ for the same.

Sran also specified how the power utility had managed to get the captive coal mine operational and thus bring down the cost of power. He said that the biggest achievement was the government take over of the Goindwal Sahib plant.

Talking about the solar power generation, Sran said they had commissioned solar generation totalling 2,008 MW till March 2024 and the project having generation capacity of 2,304 MW was under commissioning. This will also bring down our operational costs, he said.

R S Sachdeva, chairman of PHD Chamber, pointed out that the PSPCL should simplify the procedure for installing solar power plants. Replying to this, Sran said, “I agree that there are many issues regarding solar power generation. In this meeting, you have made us aware of those issues.. We will ponder on these so as to give you the best service,” he said.

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