Punjab wobbles as the electricity crunch goes from bad to worse. - 24/06/2009
LUDHIANA, June 24:Senior Congress leader and Qila Raipur MLA, Jassi Khangura today criticised the state government and the Punjab State Electricity Board for their failure to provide minimum power to the people. He pointed out that the power supply was incessantly declining, thus adversely impacting industry, which is already reeling from prejudicial taxation, poor labour availability, lack of infrastructure, etc... and is now being dealt possibly a mortal blow on account of the prevailing power situation.
He stated, “Moreover, there are no assurances from the CM. This government is only interesting in looting industrialists at every opportunity, not just at election time. Private power producers are reluctant to enter Punjab because of the precarious state of the state's finances and also because of the "entry tax" imposed by ruling politicians to fill their pockets.”
In a statement issued here today, Khangura pointed out that the previous Congress government had purchased sufficient power from other states to ensure that the consumers, be they agricultural, domestic, commercial or industrial, do not suffer.
The Qila Raipur MLA asked as what happened to the power which Punjab was to get in return from other states which they were supplied during the winter season. “At that time we were told that Punjab is saving the power for summers by providing it to other states who will return it to us during the summer, but nothing is happening now except progressively increasing power cuts”, he pointed out, adding that “This Akali-BJP government has exported power at the cost of its own people.”
Sharing his concern with the people and the industry, the Congress leader remarked, this government was quite insensitive towards the problems of the people. He said, while the industry had been ordered to close for two days in a week, the heavy industries like the furnaces have been asked to shut down for three days a week.
He pointed out that during last two and a half years the government had not initiated any measures to improve the power situation in the state. It had only commissioned the additional units at Lehra Mohabat constructed during the last Congress regime. He added, “Rather it had either stalled those other projects initiated by the previous Congress government or was relaying foundation stones to claim undue credit without doing anything on the ground”, he remarked.
Khangura said, whilst in the urban areas the duration of the power cuts had extended up to twelve hours a day, in rural areas it was much worse with electricity remaining off for days together. He added that this government seems to have given up the will to govern and appears resigned to the fate that it is never going to return to power again.
He added, “Badal sahib please be honest for once with the people of Punjab and admit that the state simply does not have resources to but additional power because you have wasted public funds for spurious Sangat Darshan purposes.”
Khangura closed crisply stating “Maybe the Badals can not from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes, cars, planes and hotels feel the desperation of the ordinary people of Punjab. I dare them to spend 24 hours without electricity.”
Jassi Khangura MLA
Halqa Qila Raipur
