Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab’s chief spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that the power crisis Punjab faced during the last 4-5 days was the result of the Central Government’s negative attitude and its policy of depriving the state of its rightful share. However, thanks to the day-and-night efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Powercom officials, Punjab has now completely emerged from this crisis.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Dhaliwal said that the problem had arisen due to technical faults in the units of the private thermal power plants at Talwandi Sabo and Nabha, which have now been completely rectified. Since 6 a.m. on Sunday, uninterrupted electricity has been supplied across Punjab to agricultural, industrial and domestic consumers without any cuts. Punjab’s own power generation has reached 5,300-5,400 MW, and all 10 thermal units in the state are functioning smoothly. The total demand of 15,700 MW is being successfully met.
Questioning the intentions of the BJP Government, the AAP leader said that whenever any state faces a technical crisis, it is the Centre’s duty to support it. During such a difficult time, the Central Government abandoned Punjab. The 1,051 MW of electricity that Punjab was to receive from the central pool was stopped. Despite the Punjab Power Minister and officials repeatedly contacting the Centre and writing letters, the Centre provided no assistance.
Taking the Punjab BJP leaders to task, Kuldeep Dhaliwal said that these leaders are limited to merely indulging in political opportunism and “politics over dead bodies.” He said, with what face will the Punjab BJP leadership go among the people to seek votes? The leaders who eat Punjab’s food and drink its water are sitting mute and deaf before the Centre. If they have even a little self-respect, they should raise their voice and get Punjab’s withheld RDF and link roads funds, along with its rightful share of electricity, released.
Assuring the people of Punjab, farmers and industrialists, Dhaliwal said that there is absolutely no need to panic. The state is receiving a continuous supply of coal from its own Pachhwara Coal Mine. Ropar plant has 30 days’ coal available, Lehra Mohabbat has 11 days, Goindwal Sahib has 16 days, Nabha has 8 days and Talwandi Sabo has 4 days of coal available. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government stands like a rock with its farmers and industry in every situation, and there will be no shortage of electricity in the coming days as well.
