Chandigarh, July 29
Regarding the letter written to PSPCL by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to review or cancel the power purchase agreements (PPAs), senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema questioned if by writing a letter to the Managing Director of Powercom, the deadly power deals for Punjab can be canceled or reviewed; then where did Captain and the Congressmen were sleeping for four-and-a-half-years. Promising support in the cancellation of the power deals, Cheema said if the Chief Minister was really serious, he should immediately cancel the PPAs in the Cabinet meeting and then through the Assembly session; which were passed by the Badal cabinet during the SAD-BJP government.
Addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters here on Thursday, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “This game of letters is another betrayal of the people of Punjab and a ploy by the Congress government to waste time.” He further asked Captain Amarinder Singh to explain to the public why he was running away from convening the cabinet meeting. Cheema said that no meeting of the Punjab Cabinet had been convened from the last 41 days. “It has not happened until now that there was no Cabinet meeting for so many days,” he added. Demanding the convening of the Assembly session, Harpal Singh Cheema asked if Captain Amarinder would tell where the white paper on the PPAs was, that was floated in the Assembly.
The LoP said Captain’s letter made it clear that the Aam Aadmi Party, which had been raising the issue of cancellation of power deals for the last 7-8 years from villages, localities to Assembly and had been staging dharnas; were absolutely right and pro-people. “This also corroborates our allegation that the Badals had fixed a commission (brokerage) with the private power companies and the same commission was later fixed by the Congress government. As a result, everyone, including Captain, Jakhar, fell silent and Navjot Sidhu stepped down from taking charge of the power department,” said Cheema.
On the recommendations of the Montek Singh Ahluwalia Committee, Harpal Singh Cheema said that the committee wanted to end all subsidies including electricity to the people of Punjab. He alleged that the Ahluwalia committee was set up by Captain; but was run by the Narendra Modi government. “As a result, Ahluwalia is making the same recommendations that the Modi government is trying to impose through the new Electricity Amendment Bill, 2021,” he said. Cheema also demanded that the government reject the recommendations of the Ahluwalia Committee through the Assembly forever.
The AAP leader demanded that the review and cancellation of the power purchase agreements should also be under the supervision of the Honorable High Court and action should be taken against those who are guilty and have betrayed Punjab. “At the same time, crores of rupees should be recovered from the Badals, power companies, officials and brokers who had looted the treasury and the people of Punjab in these 8-10 years,” said Cheema.
