LUDHIANA: In a bid to find solution on the issue of reduction of power tariffs to Rs 5 per unit for the industry, chief minister Captain
Amarinder Singh on Monday convened a high-level meeting and directed power and irrigation minister
Rana Gurjit Singh and finance minister Manpreet Badal to meet the industrialists on Tuesday and address their concerns to facilitate early implementation of power as promised by the government.
The development comes three days after a meeting between the industry representatives and senior officials of Punjab government bore no fruit. Close to 50 industry associations of the state, majority of them from Ludhiana, complained after the state government did not reduce the rate of electricity to Rs. 5 per unit from November 1st as promised by the chief minister.
The industrialists in a meeting organised in Ludhiana had given the state government a deadline of December 20 to address the issue and reduce the rates. The industrialists threatened to launch an agitation and state-level hunger strike from December 21 if they demands are not fulfilled.
Both the ministers have been asked to talk to the industry captains in an effort to resolve their demands for non-retrospective implementation of fixed tariff on power, along with various other matters relating to the industrial power rates.
According to an official spokesperson of the government, after the meeting on Monday, chief minister had taken serious note of the problems being faced by the industry, including the power tariff burden resulting from imposition of fixed tariff by the regulator.
The spokesperson said the chief minister made it clear at the meeting that he would brook no further delay in the implementation of his promise for industrial power tariff being fixed at Rs 5 unit, adding that the government is keen to make the new power structure a reality by January 1, 2018.
Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included media advisor to CM Raveen Thukral, chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh, additional chief secretary, power
Satish Chandra and chairman-cum-managing director PSPCL & PSTCL A Venu Prasad.
Two-part tariff structure to be discussed
The retrospective implementation of fixed tariff of fixed tariff with effect from April 1, 2017, as announced by Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) was one of the key issues discussed at the meeting on Monday. The cabinet ministers also will be raising the issue when they discuss the matter with the industrialists on Tuesday. With a financial implication of Rs 600 crore, if accepted in its current form, the retrospective implementation of fixed tariff has been opposed by the industrialists, who wanted more time to correct their industrial loads. The CM noted that while many of the industries in the state had managed to reduce their loads, the smaller (particularly the sick) units that run for short duration only had been badly hit by the new two-part tariff structure. These units had requested capping the rate, which the two ministers would discuss at their meeting on Tuesday with the industry. The CM, according to the spokesperson, had also directed the concerned officials to take up the issue of co-generation and sick units with the regulator, so that the impact of the new two-part tariff scheme on them could be minimised.
Will continue hunger strike until demands are met: Industrialists
An emergency meeting of All Industries and Trade Forum (AITF) was organised on Monday, which was presided over by the president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA) Inderjit Singh Navyug.
Various issues including the chief minister's directions to ministers Rana
Gurjit Singh and Manpreet Badal to meet industrialists were also discussed. However, industrialists decided unanimously to continue the hunger strike if the demands (no retrospective payment of revised tariff and no two part system and slashing of electricity charges for industry to Rs 5 per unit) put forward by AITF is not accepted. Others present in the meeting included Avtar Singh Bhogal, Charanjit Singh Vishivkarama, Badish Jindal, K.K. Garg, Manjit Singh Matharoo, Dev Gupta, Kuwant Singh, S C Rahlan, Rajkumar Singla, Jagbir Singh Sokhi, Rajinder Singh Pappu, Rajinder Singh Sarhali, Achhru Ram Gupta.
