‘Deals signed by SAD-BJP govt led to power rate hike’
SAYS SUKHBIR SIGNED PACT TO HIKE POWER TARIFFS IN PUNJAB ON YEARLY BASIS FOR UDAY SCHEME LAST YEAR
CHANDIGARH: Accusing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of indulging in political gimmickry over the recent power tariff hike, Punjab Congress president and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar said Akalis should stage protests in Delhi instead of planning dharnas in Punjab.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders, along with the Akalis, are the real culprits behind this ,” he claimed, while talking to the media on Saturday.
Jakhar said the previous Badal government had signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bjp-led central government and the PSPCL for hiking power tariff every year.
“Sukhbir Badal (then state power minister) signed the MOU under the UDAY scheme on March 4, 2016, in the presence of his alliance partner and union power minister Piyush Goyal (then union power minister) and agreed to hike power tariffs in Punjab on a yearly basis. As per the MOU, tariff was hiked by 5% in 2016-17 and 9% n 2017-18. In view of the state polls, Badals did not effect a hike in 2016-17 and resorted to political gimmickry by slashing tariff by 0.65% that fiscal,” he added.
He also blamed the previous
SUPPORTS CM’S
STAND ON MAJITHIA Responding to a question on the demand by some Congress MLAS for initiating action against Majithia, he said, “We are looking for evidence that can stand a court’s scrutiny. The Congress is sure not to repeat the mistakes that it committed in 2002 by taking hasty action. People who ruined Punjab, will meet a dark fate.”