Patiala, September 14: Punjab Congress chief Aamrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday accused the AAP government of pushing Punjab’s power sector into a crisis through alleged corruption, poor management and political interference, as thousands of Congress workers staged a protest outside the PSPCL office here.
The protesters were stopped by a large police deployment, with barricades put up to prevent them from reaching the PSPCL premises.
Warring said the current power shortage could not simply be blamed on circumstances such as coal availability, alleging that the crisis was the consequence of administrative failures within PSPCL and the state government.
Targeting the appointment of former PSPCL chairman Basant Garg, Warring alleged that the government amended the eligibility rules to facilitate the appointment of a non-technocrat. He claimed Garg held multiple responsibilities and was present in the office for only 20 days during his approximately 300-day tenure as chairman.
Warring also alleged irregularities in the appointment of the Director Generation. He claimed that Harjit Singh was removed from the post after resisting government pressure and was subsequently subjected to Vigilance Bureau action, while an allegedly ineligible candidate was brought in to replace him.
The Congress leader linked the developments to former Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging that a preferred candidate from Ludhiana was accommodated despite allegedly lacking the required qualifications. Warring claimed that the functioning of PSPCL subsequently deteriorated.
He said the corporation should have anticipated the state’s power requirements, particularly when forecasts had indicated a weak monsoon. According to him, inadequate preparations for the agriculture sector contributed to the difficulties being faced by consumers.
Warring also disputed claims of a coal shortage, pointing out that Punjab has its own coal mine. He attributed lower generation at the Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar thermal plants partly to an employees’ strike, which he said was triggered by unfulfilled commitments of the AAP government.
Alleging a sharp rise in the cost of purchased power, Warring claimed PSPCL was now paying Rs 8.10 per unit for electricity that had earlier been available for around Rs 5 per unit. He alleged that intermediaries from Delhi were being used in the procurement process and demanded transparency in the arrangements.
The Congress president also raised questions over the power subsidy account. Referring to a claimed Rs 22,000-crore subsidy commitment to PSPCL for agricultural and free-power schemes, he alleged that there was a discrepancy of Rs 7,000 crore and sought an explanation from the government.
Warring further alleged that the Punjab government had paid Rs 150 crore in brokerage for raising a Rs 10,000-crore loan and Rs 340 crore for another Rs 25,000-crore loan. He claimed the broker involved in the latter transaction was from Gujarat and alleged that the money could be linked to electoral purposes there.
Calling Bhagwant Mann the “worst ever” Chief Minister of Punjab, Warring alleged that the government had taken the state 25 years backwards.
Warring said the Congress would intensify its campaign against the government with a protest in Chandigarh on Monday under Sachin Pilot, the newly appointed party general secretary in-charge. He said the demonstration would demand the removal of Harpal Cheema and justice for Gulzar Singh, whom he alleged was forced to commit suicide by Cheema’s associates.
