Capt govt to bring white paper on power pacts inked by Akalis
Alliance legislators disrupt the governor’s address, stage walkout; AAP legislators too leave the House
CHANDIGARH: PUNJAB chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced that his government will bring out a white paper, in the monsoon session of the state assembly, to expose the “fraud” committed by the Akalis with regard to the controversial power purchase agreements (PPAS) with private players.
“The white paper will reveal all the documents signed by the previous SAD-BJP government in the state, as well as the power plants set up by them, which had caused undue burden on the state, Amarinder told mediapersons after the governor’s address on the first day of the two-day special session of the assembly amid row over the PPAS.
The state government has been under fire from the opposition SAD and AAP on frequent hikes in power rates.
AAP, while reminding the Congress government its poll promise to renegotiate the PPAS, is demanding scrapping of these power pacts, SAD has alleged a Rs 4,100 crore scam in power sector, demanding a CBI probe into the alleged nexus between the Congress ministers and leaders and private power firms. The SAD had accused the state government of not pursuing the case against release of coal washing charges to private plants in the Supreme Court and asserted that it was during their regime, the state power regulator Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Corporation (PSERC) and Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) had ruled in favour of state-owned power utility.
Power rates were increased by 36 paise a unit from January 1 for domestic consumers due to the coal washing charges.
Describing the Akalis as “slippery characters”, the CM said after messing with the state’s economy through various destructive measures, including the PPAS, the SAD was trying to use the issue against his government to promote their vested political interests. He said his state government had won the case on the issue in lower court but the Supreme Court decisions went against it.
“The state government is fighting the case now in the apex court,” he said.
THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN UNDER FIRE FROM THE OPPOSITION SAD AND AAP ON FREQUENT HIKES IN POWER RATES
CHANDIGARH: Members of the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal-bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) combine and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday walked out of the Punjab assembly’s special session that began with the address by governor VP Singh Badnore on the Congress government’s plans and promises.
As the governor started his address, the Shiromani Akali Dal MLAS immediately raised their voice, asking what good his past addresses had done for the people of Punjab. Carrying rattle toys to the House, the members said it symbolised the false promises made by the Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh to the people of the state.
Though the AAP MLAS listened quietly to the governor, they walked out of the House when the speech ended, saying the address failed to impress as the content was a rehash of his previous speeches. The SADBJP members too departed, raising ‘chaunda hai Punjab Captain ton jawaab (Punjab wants reply from the CM)’.
The two-day special session – the 10th of the 15th Vidhan Sabha – has been convened to ratify the Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to extend the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for another 10 years. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2019, and by the Rajya Sabha on December 12, 2019.
In his 30-minute speech, the governor read out the achievements of the state government, mentioning events to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and observing centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Badnore also said his government has waived ₹4,736-crore debt of 5.83-lakh farmers.
Leader of SAD legislature group Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said though this was the fourth governor address since the Congress government took over, none of the promises made to the people had been fulfilled to date.
Talking to the media after the session was adjourned for the day, Dhillon said farmer suicides were at an all-time high in Punjab because the government failed to implement the complete farm loan-waiver. He said the government also reneged on all the promises made to the youth, including ‘ghar ghar naukari’, unemployment allowance of ₹2,500 per month or mobile phones.
Leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema of the AAP said Punjab government has failed on all fronts.
The Congress had promised to waive debt of farmers, give ₹10 lakh assistance to peasant families, a job for each family, sixth pay commission to employees and regularisation of jobs of contractual employees. All these promises remain unfulfilled.
BIKRAM SINGH MAJITHIA, Shiromani Akali Dal leader