Bathinda thermal plant closure: Khaira seeks Manpreet’s resignation
Taking the Congress government to task over the closure of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Saturday sought finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s resignation.
Addressing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers during a protest, Khaira said during assembly elections, Manpreet, in presence of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, had promised that the plant will not be shut.
He said that Congress in its assembly poll manifesto had promised to strengthen the public sector thermal plants and to review the power purchase agreements with private thermal plants, but after coming to power, the Congress decided to shut down thermal plant.
“The decision to shut down the public-sector thermal plant is a deep-rooted conspiracy to benefit private players. The government is misleading people by saying that cost of power production is high from these plants,” he alleged.
“People of Bathinda had voted for Manpreet hoping that he would safeguard their interests. He was member of cabinet subcommittee that recommended shutting down of the Bathinda thermal plant and two units of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Rupna- gar,” said Khaira.
He said the APP will launch a protest to make the government revoke its decision.
Khaira also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the mining and irrigation scams, saying it has emerged that contractor Gurinder Singh, arrested in irregularities in irrigation department, partly funded the successful sand mine auction bid of Rajbir Enterprises, the firm in which a former employee of power and irrigation minister Rana Gurjit Singh is a working partner.