Strongly opposing the Central Government's “arbitrary” introduction of the Electricity Amendment Bill-2022 in the Parliament without even consulting the states, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday termed the move as “an attack on the constitutional rights of the states”.
“Through such nefarious designs, the Union Government is weakening the foundations of the federal structure,” said the Chief Minister, adding that this is another attempt made by the Centre to undermine the states’ authority.
Categorically stating that the Centre should not consider the states as puppets, Mann said that the states will not sit silently against this attempt of the Union Government to dilute the federal spirit of our democracy.
“The states will fight from the road to the Parliament to protect their rights. The Centre should have consulted the states before introducing any bill related to the power sector,” said Mann. However, he said that instead of consulting, this bill is being imposed on the states, which is a direct attack on the federal structure.
Questioning the Centre’s intentions, the Chief Minister said that when the states provide electricity to their residents on their own, why their feedback has not been sought while introducing a new bill.
Citing Punjab’s example, he said that farmers in the state are being given free electricity for agriculture. “Likewise, free power supply is also provided to domestic consumers and if the Centre is amending the bills as per their own conditions, the farmers and other sections will get a big blow as states like Punjab will not be able to continue such pro-people initiatives,” he said.
Warning the Centre to desist from playing with fire, the Chief Minister urged it to not repeat the previous mistake of implementing draconian three agricultural laws. He asked the Government to reconsider its decision of introducing the Electricity Amendment Bill as the people of the country will never tolerate such unilateral decisions.
Mann demanded that the Central Government should take feedback from the states before enacting any law in the power sector, which will directly affect every citizen of the country.
WARRING SEEKS ALL PARTY MEET
Criticising the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre for introducing the Electricity Regulatory Bill in the Parliament, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday said that this was “yet another assault” on the country’s federal structure as electricity was a state subject.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president urged the AAP-led State Government to chalk out a strategy against the passage of the Bill and assured full cooperation from his party. He suggested holding an all party meeting to put up a strong case against the Bill as it will have serious ramifications for Punjab.
Warring criticised the BJP government for backing out from the commitment it had made to the farmers when they lifted their one-year-long dharna. “Not bringing in the Electricity Regulatory Bill was one of the demands of the farmers and the government had agreed to it but had backed out now,” he said.
Expressing apprehensions that the ultimate aim of the Bill was to do away with the subsidies and handover the power generation and distribution completely to the private players, Warring said that there was still time for the like-minded parties to oppose the Bill forcefully and prevent its passage in the parliament and the need of the hour was to fight against it unitedly.
He also announced that in case the need be, the Congress party will launch a mass agitation against the Bill and ensure it is not implemented. “Had it not been for the Congress Government in Punjab which wholeheartedly supported the farmers against three black laws, those may well have been implemented by now. Similar agitation against the Electricity Bill will also be launched,” he said.