Akali Dal blames state govt for crisis, says CM didn’t raise it with PM

Addressing a press conference senior party leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said, “Not raising the issue of crisis during meeting with the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] by CM is indication of the non-seriousness of the punjab government.”

Chandumajra said, “It is surprising to see that Congress party and its government were busy in infighting for top chair and have not cared about power crisis”. He said that now the CM is writing letters to PM after failing to take up issue with him during one to one meeting.

The SAD leader also said that “Punjab is facing coal crisis because Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is defaulter of Coal India Limited”. He said that there were clear rules on supply of coal. He said that “those who pay in advance get priority, second slot is for those who make immediate payment on delivery and third slot is for defaulters”. He said that “Punjab is a defaulter state, so it is not getting priority”.

He further said that Punjab government was “defaulter of PSPCL as it is yet to pay Rs 3600 crore of subsidy arrears whereas it owes Rs 2000 crore on account of power bills of government institutions”. He said that “under tremendous financial pressure, it is but natural that PSPCL has become defaulter of Coal India Limited”.

Chandumajra further said that Punjab government was also “causing heavy burden on government treasury with purchase of costly power”. He said that “yesterday PSPCL purchased 1450 MW power at Rs. 14.46 per unit” and that “people will be ultimate sufferer of this burden”. He also said that “Basmati crop is waiting for irrigation as power cuts have become order of the day and there is also a serious concern about power supply during sowing of wheat”.

Later, party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal accused Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal of adopting double standards on the issue of power crisis. He said Kejriwal had announced that Delhi had become the only state which was not using coal for generating power.

“However, Kejriwal has recently written a letter to the prime minister, asking the latter to divert coal from other thermal plants and supply the same to two thermal plants supplying power to Delhi,” he said.

Former minister and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia slammed Kejriwal on the power issue. “Lies & deceit thy name is Kejriwal. CM @ArvindKejriwal 1st claimed Delhi had banned use of coal in its thermal plants& was 1st State without any coal based plants. Now he has asked PM to divert coal from other plants to plants supplying power to Delhi. Hypocrisy of highest order,” tweeted Majithia.