Hry buying surplus, costlier power, alleges Dalal, demands white paper
CHANDIGARH: Congress MLA from Palwal, Karan Dalal, accused the Khattar government of buying surplus and costlier electricity, thus burdening the consumers of the state.
Addressing newspersons here, Dalal said that in its reply to his unstarred question in the last assembly session as well as a recent application under the right to information (RTI) Act (as on November 30, 2017), the state government has admitted that against the requirement of power varying from 3,500 MW to 9,800 MW, the government is buying 1,108.3 MW from various sources, including private parties.
When contacted, additional chief secretary (power), PK Das, however, held that he will comment only after looking into the all the details of allegations levelled by Dalal. Demanding a white paper on the functioning of power utilities, Dalal held that 1,286 MW extra power is being purchased by the state even as most of the state’s own power plants shut down. Dalal, who is a five-time MLA, alleged that the government was hand-in-glove with private companies that were selling power to state through Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Uttar Haryana Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) as it was buying power at excessive rates in several cases. “In spite of buying more power than required, cities and villages continue to face long power cuts and as a result, the supply of drinking water remains effected. Besides, this, the industrial output remains severely affected on account of shortage of power,” he further alleged.
Dalal further held that the levy of 2% extra surcharge being imposed in the municipal areas was also an additional burden on the consumers. During the Congress regime, there used to be a three-slab system and benefits were being given to consumers accordingly. “Now, under the bulk supply (domestic) category, no benefit of power slab is given in the higher consumption slabs,” he further held and demanded a probe into what he alleged was a scam worth crores by an independent agency.