Rework or cancel pacts with pvt power plants: Bajwa to Chief Minister

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 13

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa has urged Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to begin the process of negotiating or cancelling the power purchase agreements signed with private thermal plants as they failed to stock enough coal reserve during the farmers’ protest.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Bajwa said the legacy of the unfair power purchase agreements signed with independent power producers (IPPs) was the brainchild of the former Deputy Chief Minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Failed to maintain coal stock

Three privately owned thermal power plants did not maintain the mandatory 30-day coal stock as required by the power purchase agreements signed with the state government

He said the three privately owned thermal power generation stations had become a financial albatross that had caused huge losses to the exchequer of Punjab, while benefiting only a select few private companies.

He pointed out that these agreements had been designed in a manner that ensured the subsidisation of these power operators to the tune of Rs 65,000 crore as fixed charges for 25 years.

“As you are aware that the third private plant run by GVK at Goindwal Sahib closed its operations on November 3, 2020, due to the shortage of coal. The other two private thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo and Nabha had shut operations earlier due to the same reason. It has been reported that these three power plants did not maintain the mandatory 30-day stock of coal as required by the power purchase agreements signed with the Government of Punjab.

“Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has yet to initiate against these firms for failing to maintain their commitments with the state,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.