PSPCL officers’ nod to shift power line under scanner

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 12

Senior officers of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) allegedly went out of their way to recommend shifting of the old 66-KV power supply line in Khanna, which will cost the exchequer Rs3 crore, in December last year. The decision was made public on February 3, a day before polling — apparently to help the ruling alliance woo voters in the constituency.

According to documents with The Tribune, engineer-in-chief-rank officers “recommended the case to remove the existing 66-KV line from the Khanna grid to the 220-KV Ikloha grid and instead construct a 66-KV line to connect the Khanna grid to the upcoming 220-KV Bhari grid” to be constructed by the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).

A senior official of the PSPCL said some colonisers had influenced the move as they had bought land near the transmission line. “In league with local politicians, they wanted this line removed on the plea that it passed over a densely populated residential area, so that the land value would increase manifold. The document concerned was circulated in Khanna at the eleventh hour so as to avoid suspicion,” he added.

As per rules, the cases of transmission lines passing over residential areas are referred to a committee of three chief engineers, holding the charge of planning, transmission system and distribution, respectively, in the area concerned. This committee submits its report, following which further action is taken. As the construction under such lines is done much after their installation, their removal after putting in place another line — if alternative space/route is available — is done at the beneficiaries’ expense, not the PSPCL.

As per the documents, the officers concerned from Ludhiana intimated the estimated expenditure and instead of referring the case to the planning section, put up the agenda before the Board of Directors (BoD) to remove the 66-KV line from Khanna to Ikloha and construct another one. These officers forwarded the case without taking the Finance Department’s mandatory nod to spend the requisite amount.

The BoD discussed the agenda, but did not approve the case. It decided that the matter be put up after taking the opinion of the Finance Department.

However, in his final order, PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) KD Chaudhri said, “… it is resolved that approval in principle be and is hereby accorded to dismantle the existing line from the 66-KV grid substation, Khanna, to the 220-KV grid substation, Ikloha, passing over the densely populated residential/commercial area of Khanna city.”

Chaudhri said a committee had been constituted to look into the matter. “We are not giving clearance to shift the transmission line as a railway crossing is located in the area,” he said.

“The CMD is making contradictory statements. The local SAD cadre promised voters that the line would be shifted,” said the whistleblower in the case, adding that the Election Commission should take notice of the matter.