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Punjab power crisis: SAD seeks financial package for farmers
Sukhbir said the government did not make any attempt to ensure timely maintenance of thermal plants, which led to the closure of the Lehra Mohabbat plant as well as one unit of the Talwandi Sabo plant
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday held protests outside Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices across the state for failing to provide 8-hour power supply to farmers, besides imposing unscheduled cuts and ordering closure of industries two days a week.
The SAD demanded an immediate financial package for paddy farmers who were forced to use diesel generators besides demanding an immediate reduction in VAT on diesel. The party said if these corrective measures were not taken along with restoration of regular supply of power to farmers as well as the domestic and industrial consumers, the SAD will gherao the chief minister and ministers in the next phase of its agitation.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal joined protests at Lambi, Fazilka and Ghubaya during the course of which he held the CM solely responsible for the plight of the people. He said the CM has not taken a single review meeting of the power utility to ensure adequate supply to paddy farmers. “This was done deliberately to keep the subsidy bill down. The Congress government does not want to provide free power to farmers,” he said.
In Fazilka, Sukhbir said the government did not make any attempt to ensure timely maintenance of thermal plants, which led to the closure of the Lehra Mohabbat plant as well as one unit of the Talwandi Sabo plant.
Former minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal participated in dharnas at Bathinda and Sangat Mandi where she disclosed how the erstwhile SAD government had spent more than ₹4,000 crore on upgrading the transmission and distribution system.
Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who participated in the dharna at Majitha, said instead of resolving the crisis which had engulfed the state in the form of a power emergency, the CM was busy hosting five star luncheon meetings for Congressmen.
No shortage of canal water: Minister
Reacting to Sukhbir’s statement that paddy crop will be destroyed if water is supplied in next 2 days, state water resources minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said there was no shortage of canal water anywhere in the state and no complaint has been lodged by any farmer in this regard.
