The issue of “excess” power bills to the Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes was heard loud and clear in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday with the Congress Government declaring to review the same.
The state Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, responding to the issue raised by the Aam Aadmi Party MLA and the Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema regarding high power rates in Punjab, declared that the State Government would review the previous “excess” power bills.
“I have just talked to the Finance Minister. And we have decided that all such previous bills, which have been charged in excess from the SC, BC category consumers, would be reviewed,” said Kangar.
Blaming the previous SAD-BJP government for the “pending” power bills, Kangar said that the erstwhile government promised these people ahead 2017 elections that all their power bills would be waived off if they come to power for the third time, which was the main reason behind the pending and excess bills.
The Congress-led State Government had imposed an upper annual limit of 3,000 units for electricity consumption by the SC/BC and BPL families, enabling domestic consumers in these categories to avail only 200 units per month free of cost. Facing severe criticism, the Government, only recently, removed the cap.
Raising the issues, Cheema urged the Government to cancel all the power purchase agreements with the private companies signed by the previous government.
Intervening, Congress MLA and the former Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh sought the probe into these pacts. “They (AAP) have raised the right issue. When I was the Power Minister, I got it calculated that the State would bear the burden of Rs 62,500 crore in the next 25 years on account of power purchase agreements to these companies,” he said.
Power Minister Kangar admitted to have paid Rs 446 crore in the last 10 years without any power been produced by these companies, which is under scanner.
Alleging that it was the government officers who were not letting to get it probed, Rana said that it should be inquired and the government projects be compared with the private ones and the excess money would come back to the state.
AAP MLA Aman Arora asked if Capt Amarinder Singh could terminate the water sharing agreements during his previous tenure in 2004, “why cannot he do it in power agreements with the private players?”
Kangar also rubbished AAP MLAs claims that power was costlier in Punjab as compared to Delhi, saying that Punjab charges Rs 25 to Rs 70 kilowatt per connection as against Rs 125 to Rs 250 KW in Delhi.
“The supply of power to industry, domestic consumers and agriculture is cheaper in Punjab than in Delhi,” he said.
Earlier, SAD-BJP MLAs staged a walkout condemning the Government “for taking back partial free power facility amounting Rs 1000 crore extended to the SC, BC power consumers” by the previous SAD-BJP government.
Wearing black robes with “excess” power bills and banners pasted on it, SAD-BJP MLAs alleged that the Government has withdrawn 200 units being supplied ‘free of cost’ to the BC consumers.
“The government has put a condition on 200 units per month being supplied free to SC consumers stating that if more than 3,000 units are consumed by an SC consumer in one year, he will have to pay the full bill without availing 200 units per month facility. And these consumers are being presented inflated bills of as much as Rs two lakh,” said Majithia while demanding that the entire amount denied to SC and BC consumers be refunded to them.
ALL-PARTY PANEL, AMONG OTHER STEPS, TO CHECK STRAY CATTLE MENACE
Punjab legislatures blamed the encroachments eating into green cover for the stay cattle menace, with the State Government maintaining that it was ready to form an all-party panel to resolve the issue of stray cattle causing deadly accidents on the roads.
The state Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, while responding to the issue raised by AAP MLA Aman Arora, admitted that stray animals in rural and urban areas is a serious problem, and the proposed all-party committee will have to include legal experts and veterinary genetic experts besides stakeholders as it involves important legal and breed hierarchy issues.
“Our country has central laws governing cattle apart from the laws administered by the State. Thus, a coordinated effort will be needed to find the solution,” he said.
Sidhu said that cattle pounds have been setup in each district after identifying a minimum of 25 acres of panchayati land to keep approximately 2,000 stray animals per cattle pound (gaushalas), which are being managed by District Animal Welfare Societies constituted under the chairmanship of concerned Deputy Commissioners.
At present, 10,593 cattle is being managed, and an interim amount of Rs 10 lakh has been released to gaushalas or cattle ponds of each district from cattle fairs fund of Rural Development and Panchayat Department.
Sidhu also informed the House that Rs 9.30 crore had been collected by the Local Government Department as cow cess during 2015-18, which is being directly given to gaushalas by urban local organizations as per their demand.
Listing steps, Sidhu said that his Department would install semen sorting technology soon assuring 90 percent birth of female calves only; implementing laws to ensure only good quality cattle feed; tagging animals with unique ID, RFID (Radio Frequency Input Device) which would help in tracking the animals’ owners.
Earlier, Arora stressed on the need for focusing more on rearing of indigenous breed than to American breed. “The government should go for conducting DNA test on both the breeds of bovines as the root cause of stray cattle is the American breed only,” he said adding that no less than 150 deaths out of total road accidents were attributable to stray cattle, besides damaging crops worth Rs 200 crore.
Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjeet Bains stressed on fixing the jurisdiction of all gaushalas, removing encroachments from the gau charan (grazing) lands, besides roping in NGOs to check the menace.
Intervening, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said that there was a large amount of gau charan land, which cannot be sold, is under encroachment. “If these charan or gau charan lands be freed, this issue of stray cattle can be resolved,” he added.
CORPORATION TO PROVIDE SKILL TRAINING TO YOUTH TO MATCH FOREIGN JOB REQUIREMENTS
Claiming of acting against unscrupulous travel agents by registering 2140 cases under various Acts since March 2017, the Congress Government would soon set up a Corporation to provide skill training to the state’s youth to match foreign job requirements.
The state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra, replying on behalf of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to a call attention notice moved by AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu, said that out of 2140 cases, 1107 had been filed under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 528 under The Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act 2014 and another 505 under the Emigration Act, 1983.
He said that the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012, and the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2014, had been enacted by the Government, for which the rules had already been framed.
“Directives and advisory has already been issued to all the top civil and police officials to crackdown on illegal travel agents through a series of measures to ensure strict compliance with the laws and legislations governing the licensing and operations of travel agents including conducting educational seminars and publicity campaigns by Punjab Police, setting up ‘181’ helpline for assistance of needy youth laid astray by illegal elements, among others.