Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today asserted all 122 power purchase agreement (PPAs) cannot be cancelled as it will have legal ramifications.
Skirts query on Pargat
Asked about MLA Pargat Singh questioning state affairs in charge Harish Rawat on announcing that the Congress would contest the Assembly elections under him, the CM said it was for the party president to see. “I can’t comment on it”.
Report card on poll promises
The CM said of the poll promises made, 422 had been fulfilled. Another 52 were nearing progress and work was on to fulfil another 59. “I have asked my officers to prepare a report card of their department on poll promises,” the CM said.
Hold 15-day session, demands cheema
AAP senior leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema demanded that the one-day Assembly session on September 3 be extended for at least 15 days so that all key issues, including the agricultural crisis, expensive power, can be discussed.
“Punjab needs 14,000 MWs of electricity and only 7,000 MWs could be purchased from the national grid, so all PPAs could not be cancelled. We have asked some of them to reduce the power tariff like the PPA signed at higher rates with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), which was charging Rs 12.50 paise per unit,” said Captain Amarinder while talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function here.
The CM’s reply comes a day after PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu sought extension of the Punjab Assembly session to bring legislation to scarp the “faulty” PPAs with private thermal plants.
The PCC chief had sought immediate directions to the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) to revise tariff being paid to private power plants making the “faulty” PPAs null and void, besides new legislation to terminate the PPAs.
The CM also sought to clarify that the one-day September 3 session was a special event to commemoration of the 400th Prakash Purb of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
“Otherwise, the regular monsoon session would be called to discuss the legislative business. We will not adjourn the House sine dine so that the session could be held after a week or 10 days,” he said in reply to a query on the PCC chief and other leaders seeking extension of the one-day session.
Denying that recovery of drugs and weapons, as part of narco-terrorism being fuelled by Pakistan, had anything to do with the ongoing farmers’ agitation over the central farm laws, the CM said: “The farmers are not involved in any way with the radicals. “The recovery of weapons, including ‘tiffin bombs’, had more to do with evil designs to foment trouble in the region. Punjab Police are working in tandem with central agencies on the sensitive issue,” said the CM.
Can’t cancel all power purchase agreement: Capt Amarinder Singh
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