As the BJP’s alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention not to pursue the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and to withdraw it to ensure the federal rights of the States, the Aam Aadmi Party has accused the party of “doublespeak” on the issue.
SAD chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has written to the Prime Minister, stating that the proposed Bill had become a cause of public concern because it impinges on the right of the States and was against the basic principle of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Badal said the proposed Bill prohibited States from giving subsidies and cross subsidies which was a direct attack on the constitutional right of the State governments to help vulnerable sections of society.
“....in case the Bill was passed many ongoing welfare schemes which provide subsidised power or free power to different sections of society would be adversely affected. Besides causing administrative problems, the Bill also has the propensity to cause social unrest once it divests subsidised and free power from various sections of society, including Scheduled Castes, underprivileged sections and the farmers,” he pointed out.
Mr. Badal added that consumers would also face the brunt in case the Bill was passed in its present form. He pointed out that as per the clauses of the Bill, States would have to deposit payment for purchase of power in advance following which power would be given to the buyer. This, he said, is likely to cause great hardship to the States, which are revenue deficient besides resulting in the burden being passed on to the consumers.
Senior AAP leader and MLA Aman Arora accused Mr. Badal for remaining silent on the issue when the Bill was being drafted.
Mr. Arora said had the Badal family really been the sympathisers of Punjab and its people, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Minister, would have put up stiff resistance and stopped it from getting the Centre’ nod.
‘Clear your stand’
“Instead of making a fuss over the matter by misleading the people, the Badals should make it clear to the people of Punjab whether they would oppose the proposed Bill inside and outside Parliament and in case the same got the final nod, would they severe ties with their alliance partner at the Centre by sacrificing Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s ministerial berth?,” quipped Mr. Arora.
