Congratulating the people on the completion of a year of giving free power (300 units per month) in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said that his government is making concerted efforts to make Punjab a power surplus state and promote green, solar, and hydropower.
Announcing that the State Government is setting up a 206 MW hydropower project in Pathankot on the Ravi River to check the pilferage of water, Mann said that this water will also be used judiciously for irrigating fields in Punjab.
“Due to the State Government’s efforts, canal water reached the tail end in villages, which reduced the burden on tube wells thereby considerably saving electricity and groundwater,” he said, adding that the State Government is committed to carving out a ‘rangla’ (vibrant) Punjab for which everyone in the state should play a proactive role.
Notably, the State Government on July 1 last year launched the “guarantee” of providing free power to the people. “90 per cent of the households in the State are getting free power and have got zero electricity bills since last July…Farmers are getting more than eight hours of power supply without any cuts…Elated farmers are sharing videos regarding it and expressing gratitude to the Punjab government,” he claimed.
Apart from it, the State Government paid a subsidy worth Rs 20,200 crore to the power utility Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, the chief minister informed. “This has not been made possible by taking loans, as done by previous governments, but by checking pilferages and corruption,” he said.
Due to concerted efforts of the state government, the supply of coal from Pachwara coal mine that was stopped has been resumed after 2015, Mann said adding, that earlier governments stalled supply from this coal mine to “mint money illegally” from private thermal plants.
For the first time in the history of the state, Punjab has a coal stock of 43 days whereas the earlier threat of blackout loomed large in the state during earlier regimes,” he said.
He said that though across the country, governments were selling government properties to fetch money, but Punjab Government has started reverse trend by purchasing a private thermal plant. Mann said that industry is being provided uninterrupted power even during the ongoing paddy season.