Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP on Sunday blamed the Aam Aadmi Party govt for the “severe power crisis” in Punjab. The opposition parties alleged that the govt had “failed” to prepare for the surge in electricity demand during the paddy transplantation season.Citing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) figures, senior SAD functionary and former minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, said peak power demand crossed 16,200 MW this week, up from around 15,000 MW during the corresponding period last year. Despite the rise, he alleged, the govt had not added any new generating capacity. It also failed to ensure adequate coal stocks, delayed maintenance of thermal units and did not procure power in advance through banking arrangements, Majithia added.He claimed that farmers were receiving less than the promised eight hours of uninterrupted power supply during the peak paddy season, forcing many to run tube wells on diesel generators at an additional cost of around Rs 2,500 per acre.The Akali Dal representative further said prolonged outages were affecting both rural and urban areas, while industries in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mandi Gobindgarh were facing scheduled power cuts that hit production and employment.He further said that in the last week of June, the govt purchased up to 1,200 MW of power from the open market at Rs 12-14 per unit. Planning in advance could have helped the state secure electricity at Rs 5-6 per unit, saving the exchequer an avoidable financial burden.He also claimed that several thermal power units were either shut down or operating below capacity due to poor maintenance.Claiming Punjab was a power-surplus state when the SAD-BJP govt left office in 2017, Majithia said no new generation unit had been added in the last four-and-a-half years, leading to the present crisis.Demanding a ‘White Paper’ on the state’s power situation within 24 hours, Majithia sought disclosure of electricity demand and supply figures, unit-wise generation, open market buy rates and the load-shedding schedule.He also demanded an uninterrupted electricity supply for farmers during the paddy season and restoration of normal supply to industries.Slamming the Bhagwant Mann govt over the “deepening power crisis during the crucial paddy transplantation season”, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said, “The erratic electricity supply has forced farmers to rely on costly diesel-powered generators, sharply escalating their cultivation costs.”“The protests outside power grids across the state have laid bare the hollowness of the govt’s claims of ensuring ‘eight hours of uninterrupted power supply’ and turning Punjab into a ‘power-surplus’ state,” said the Punjab BJP chief.Dhillon said, “CM Mann promised to free farmers from sleepless nights spent waiting for electricity. Yet today, power remains unavailable during both day and night. Paddy already transplanted is on the verge of drying up due to inadequate water supply, while farmers preparing for fresh transplantation are also struggling without sufficient electricity. This is a glaring indictment of the govt’s flawed planning and administrative failure.““Farmers in every corner of Punjab are gheraoing power stations and grids, braving scorching heat to stage protests and, in many places, block roads in desperation. If the govt’s arrangements were truly efficient, why are Punjab’s annadatas forced to seek justice on the streets instead of working in their fields?” he asked.MSID:: 132050620 413 |
