Renegotiate deals with thermal plants: Sidhu

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 2

Two days after he met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today advised Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh to bring down the power cost by renegotiating with private thermal plants instead of imposing power cuts across the state.

In a series of tweets, he asked Captain to bring in a legislation, with retrospective effect, to cap power purchase rates as per those on the National Power Exchange. “By amending the law, these agreements will become null and void,” he said.

“Punjab is buying power at an average Rs 4.54 per unit even as the national average is Rs 3.85 per unit. Chandigarh pays Rs 3.44 per unit. Punjab is paying Rs 5-8 per unit to the three private thermal plants because of its over-dependence on these plants, power purchase agreements (PPAs) with whom were signed by the SAD-BJP government. Till 2020, Punjab has already paid Rs 5,400 crore due to ‘faulty’ clauses in these agreements and is expected to pay Rs 65,000 crore as fixed charges,” Sidhu claimed.

Maintaining that Punjab could purchase power from the national grid at much cheaper rates, he pointed out: “Punjab’s revenue per unit of consumption is one of the lowest in the country owing to gross mismanagement… The PSPCL pays 18 paise extra on every unit supplied, even after receiving over Rs 9,000 crore subsidy from the state.”

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Sidhu’s pending Bill Rs 8.74 lakh

Amritsar: Former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s pending bill for power supply to his house here is Rs 8.74 lakh. PSPCL Superintending Engineer GS Khaira said: “The bill has been pending for over eight months. Sidhu owed the corporation Rs 17,62,742. But he paid close to Rs 10 lakh in March during a recovery drive. He had some objections over the surcharge. The case is being reviewed.” Despite several attempts, Sidhu could not be reached for comment. TNS