A day after demanding to scrap Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) signed by erstwhile SAD-led Government and suggesting 300 units of free power and 24X7 power supply, Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday reiterated that a “new Legislation in Punjab Vidhan Sabha” is the only solution and the only way forward.
At the same time, the former cricketer demanded that a ‘white paper on power purchase pacts’ signed during the previous SAD-BJP regime in Punjab be released to make the Badals “accountable” to people for these “corrupt agreements.”
Sidhu, who has been at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, said that he has been seeking a white paper since 2017.
“A white-paper on PPAs must be brought in Punjab Vidhan Sabha to make Badals & other authors of these corrupt agreements accountable to People ... I have been demanding this since 2017, But bureaucratic control of department corners People-elected Ministers to mere showpieces (sic),” said Sidhu in a tweet.
Notably, the Chief Minister had, in 2020, announced his government’s intention to bring out a white paper to expose the alleged fraud committed by the Akalis in signing the PPAs with private players during their regime.
Punjab has been reeling under an unprecedented power shortage with urban and rural areas facing long hours of load shedding amid scorching heat.
Sidhu, who has been raising the issue of electricity shortage in the state for the past few days, on Monday again reiterated that power purchase agreements signed during the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime should be nullified through a law. “Badal-signed PPAs are looting Punjab & legal options against them are limited due to their protection from Hon''ble Courts. Only way forward is “New Legislation in Punjab Vidhan Sabha” with retro-effect capping power purchase prices to make the anti-people agreements redundant (sic),” said the cricketer-turned-politician.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had said that the State Government would soon announce its legal strategy to counter “ill-conceived” PPAs during the previous SAD-BJP regime.
Capt Amarinder had also said that these PPAs, which were already under review, had put an “atrociously unnecessary” financial burden on the state. Of the 139 PPAs signed during the last SAD-BJP government, 17 were enough to cater to the state’s full power demand, the CM had said.