Capt blames Badal govt for power crisis; says its claims 'hollow'

Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh has blamed the SAD-BJP government for the present power crisis in the state. The government had miserably failed to keep its promise of providing eight-hour power supply to farmers, he said.

Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh has blamed the SAD-BJP government for the present power crisis in the state. The government had miserably failed to keep its promise of providing eight-hour power supply to farmers, he said.

Amarinder said the claims made by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal that Punjab would become a power-surplus state had proved to be "hollow".
He flayed the state government for its ill-preparedness in meeting the power demand during the summer season.

"Six-hour power cuts in the domestic sector, two-day weekly offs for the industrial sector and erratic power supply to the farmers speak volumes about the poor performance of the power department, the portfolio of which is with the chief minister," the former chief minister remarked.

Commenting on the agitations being staged by farmers in protest against the "failure" of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the PPCC chief said officers of the corporation were making false excuses to save their skin. "The ground reality has badly exposed the Akali-BJP government's assurances that there would be no power cuts this summer," he added.

Reacting to reports about the uncertainty over some upcoming thermal plants in the state, Capt Amarinder said the government was acting in an irresponsible manner. He asked the chief minister to tell about the present status of all such thermal plants during the assembly session, which starts on Tuesday.