The Punjab Congress on Sunday came down heavily on Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal for misleading the public by making tall claims of development in the electricity generation and distribution in the State.
Senior Congress leader and party chief spokesperson Sunil Jakhar teared into Sukhbir’s claims of providing “cheapest” electricity by presenting facts and figures. He said electricity tariff rates in Punjab were higher compared to its neighbouring States of Haryana and Chandigarh.
“The data shown by Sukhbir on electricity sector recently to highlight the achievement of Punjab Government is completely false and misleading,” said Jakhar.
Taking Sukhbir head on, Jakhar said while in Punjab, consumers had to pay `4.52 per 100 units, in Chandigarh, it was `2.55 and `2.70 in Haryana.
He said Sukhbir was showing “half-truth”, and he would bring forth the entire truth in three installments. He said the power rates for industrial sector were much higher in Punjab as compared to other States.
Jakhar alleged the three private sector Thermal Plants in the State were not running efficiently and the Punjab Government had been forcing the people of the State to pay higher electricity charges to make up the losses of these Thermal Plants.
He asked Sukhbir why a payment of `1656 crore, that was `5.08 per unit, were made to the private company owning Talwandi Sabo thermal plant when it was decided that power would be bought at the rate of `2.36 per unit, as stated by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the floor of the Vidhan Sabha on June 29, 2012.
Similar was the case of Rajpura thermal plant, said he and added the Government signed a power purchase agreement to buy power at the rate of `2.89 per unit, but in 2015, 72817 lakh units were bought by paying them `3,042 crore, that was `4.18 were paid for per unit.
Apprehending a big scam, Jakhar said State’s thermal plants were producing 17,000 lakh units before setting up of these private thermal plants, which has now reduced to 7,200 lakh units.
He further alleged the SAD leaders in districts and villages were indulging in blatant electricity theft which accounts for about 32 per cent of total electricity theft.
“Maximum power theft is in the constituencies of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal, Adeish Partap Singh Kairon, Sikander Singh Maluka and Anil Joshi...Either the Government is totally failed in checking this theft or Government is giving them the patronage,” said Jakhar.
Jakhar added average distribution losses in Punjab were 12.71 per cent, while in Malout division, it is 38.29 per cent, 32.29 pecent in Badal village, Kairon’s constituency Patti has 35 per cent, Maluka’s constituency Rampura Phull has 29 per cent, and Sukhbir’s segment Jalalabad has 29 per cent.
Anil Joshi’s constituency has 24 percent losses while in ludhiana, where there are maximum industrial units, it is two to four percent and 10 percent in Patiala, he pointed, hinting at whether ruling leaders are supporting this theft.