‘BJP-JJP govt going soft on Adani Power’
CHANDIGARH: The Congress on Saturday slammed the BJP-JJP government in Haryana for ‘going soft’ on Adani Power Limited, which has stopped 1,424 MW of contracted electricity supply to the state despite a longterm power purchase agreement (PPA) in place.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press briefing accused the state government of having a nexus with private power generators. “What action has chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar taken against Adani Power for not supplying contracted power of 1,424 MW since 2021?,” he asked.
Surjewala said the state is not getting contracted power at cheap rates from Adani Power and has to buy electricity at double rate to meet the shortfall at the cost of public exchequer.
A former power minister himself, Surjewala said Haryana was in the middle of an emergent power crisis. “People from all walks of life are suffering in the scorching heat with power cuts of 12 hours or more everyday. Industry in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kundli, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Manesar is on virtual shutdown,” he added.
The Congress leader said the Supreme Court had in April 2017 rejected the claim of Adani Power for discharge or termination of PPA or for the charging of extra cost of Indonesian coal from power utilities. “Despite the SC order, Adani Power has not been supplying electricity to Haryana for the last several months, mainly on the premise that imported coal from Indonesia has become expensive. Instead of binding them down and enforcing the PPA with Adani Power, the Khattar government has chosen to take no action. Instead, it is buying short-term power at rates ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 8 per unit, thereby burdening the public exchequer,” he said.
The former minister said, “Strangely, the expensive power being bought by state government is not even at the risk and cost of Adani Power. Even HERC in its April 6 order had questioned the government for not buying short-term power at the risk and cost of Adani Power.”
“Considering that the rate of Adani Power PPA was Rs 2.94 per unit and the rates of proposed short-term power are 5.75 per unit, the state will be paying Rs 2.81 per unit extra. For 500 MW, the extra burden would be Rs 140.50 crore daily,” he added.
Meanwhile, former minister and Congress’ Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry on Saturday slammed the BJP-JJP coalition government over its policies.
Addressing mediapersons at her residence in Bhiwani, she accused the government and local administration of not making adequate procurement logistical arrangements for procurement of rabi crops .
(With inputs from Rohtak)