Punjab Vigilance Bureau has cranked up the heat on the energy pacts made between 2007 and 2017 by zeroing in on the power plays involving thermal projects and solar ventures during this crucial period under the decade-long rule of the SAD-BJP coalition. Armed with records from the state's power utility, Powercom, the Vigilance is on a mission to expose any shady dealings or irregularities buried in these energy agreements.
With experts dissecting records and potential inquiries looming large, past officials and political bigwigs could be on the hot seat if any skeletons tumble out. The probe, sparked by the shadows of the Akali Dal and BJP coalition era, promises a suspenseful narrative rewrite of Punjab’s power dynamics.
The scrutiny extended back to the time of the Akali-BJP coalition government, which ruled from 2007 to 2017. During the Congress-led Government under Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi before that, in 2021, an announcement was made to investigate these power agreements by the then Chief Vigilance Commissioner Justice Mehtab Singh Gill.
Records related to these agreements were also sought by Gill in November 2021, although the matter had not progressed significantly at that time. The Vigilance Bureau is expected to review the findings of the previous investigation to ensure a more comprehensive examination.
The focus of the current investigation primarily includes the examination of Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant with a capacity of 1980 megawatts (MW) and Rajpura Thermal Plant with a capacity of 1400 MW.
Additionally, agreements related to solar energy projects are also under scrutiny. During the Akali-BJP government, there were 91 agreements for solar energy projects totaling 884 megawatts, with electricity procurement rates ranging from Rs 3.01 to Rs 8.74 per unit.
Before this, during the tenure of the Akali-BJP government, 22 agreements were made with solar projects, with relatively higher rates. Powercom had purchased solar energy and biomass projects for Rs 4487 crore and Rs 1928 crore during 2011-12 and 2021-22, respectively. The present government has entered into nine agreements so far, with electricity rates ranging between Rs 2.50 and Rs 3.
The initiation of the investigation coincided with the purchase announcement of the Goindwal Thermal Plant by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. During this time, he declared that an investigation into past power agreements would take place. He refrained from directly naming certain individuals, stating that significant players would not be spared.