Chandigarh: Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Sunday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party-led govt over the state’s power situation, alleging that its claims about coal availability and uninterrupted electricity supply contradicted the situation on the ground.Referring to earlier govt statements, Dhillon said that after the Pachhwara Central Coal Mine became operational in December 2022, the state govt had projected sufficient coal availability for decades and spoke of Punjab moving toward becoming a power-surplus state. He said similar assurances were given in April this year regarding coal stocks at thermal plants.Dhillon questioned the govt claims in light of statements about a reduction in thermal generation due to coal availability. He sought an explanation for what he described as the gap between the govt’s earlier assurances and the present situation.He also alleged that industrial centres, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Khanna, Mohali and Mandi Gobindgarh, were facing prolonged and unscheduled power cuts, which affected manufacturing activity and increased costs for the industry.Dhillon said unreliable electricity supply could affect production, employment, investment and govt revenue, while also pressuring farmers and domestic consumers.He also questioned the AAP govt’s claims regarding its Rs 5,000-crore ‘Roshan Punjab’ initiative and demanded a high-level review of the state’s power situation.
