As the power crisis continues to haunt the Congress government in Punjab, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa has asked the government to renegotiate the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and immediately to stop what he termed “the continued organised loot of the State exchequer”.
“The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) allowed the BSES, a power distribution company in Delhi, to renegotiate its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the NTPC-Dadri power plant on July 1, 2021. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh had also successfully renegotiated signed PPAs. Why is it that concrete steps have not been taken till date to do the same in Punjab?
“There has been a valid precedent and yet after four years of governing the State, the PPAs signed by the SAD-BJP government are still enforced. These agreements have caused irreparable financial burden to the State. The same officers who negotiated these anti-Punjab PPAs on behalf of the previous government are holding important positions in the present dispensation. It must be mentioned here that they can create a roadblock for any long-term change to the status quo,” said Mr. Bajwa in a statement.
Mr. Bajwa said Chief Minister Captian (Retd.) Amarinder Singh had carried a draft of the ‘white paper’ on the PPAs to the Vidhan Sabha in March 2020 and announced in the House that the document was ready but needed a little more work.
“The fact is that 16 months later, no such white paper laying bare the complete situation has been released till date. Furthermore, the party has already sought to ensure 200 units of free power to every household. It would be ideal if this policy is implemented and increased to 300 units,” he said.
He asked the Chief Minister to stand firm and take strong steps to remedy the situation. “Punjab is in a unique position today where it could become the nation’s leading State for innovative, environmentally modern solutions to legacy problems. With the right steps and strong political will, the present government can put Punjab on the path to leading the nation in the long-run.”
Former Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has also demanded a white paper on the PPAs. In a tweet, Mr. Sidhu said the white paper must be placed in the Vidhan Sabha to make the authors of these agreements accountable to people. He said he has been demanding this since 2017, but bureaucratic control of the department reduces elected Ministers to showpieces.
