Jalandhar(Parteek Singh): Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee(PPCC) president, Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said he has written a letter to Punjab Chief Minister a week ago to investigate power purchase agreements (PPAs) inked with private power companies by the previous SAD-BJP government.
He said he has asked for a high-level inquiry into PPAs with private plants near Talwandi Sabo and renegotiation of the tariffs. Interestingly on one side, Jakhar is demanding inquiry in this case but former Power minister before resigning from the post told media during a conference that there are no findings of any irregularities. Earlier also Jakhar raised this issue prominently during assembly elections.
He said the Talwandi Sabo private thermal plant company did not even complete biding regulations as to make it eligible balance sheet of another company was presented. In his letter, he has raised the issue of constantly changing electricity tariffs after the agreement. He has asked to terminate all the old agreements with private companies and talks should be done to set new electricity tariffs.
Jakhar replies to a query over ‘goonda tax’ collected from trucks, which comes with material for building the petrochemical plant at the Bathinda refinery. He said Congress government will not allow such action in the state. There should be ample atmosphere to set up new industry. He said he has appealed to Chief Minister to look into the matter. Captain government has already abolished blackmailing truck unions to give relief to the traders. Some Akali contractors are spreading such rumors, we cannot act on the complaint of only contractors. He assured the issue will be investigated.
Talking about the illegal mining he said that the state government has already made a beginning to check the racket of illegal mining in the state. He said that the result of this effort would be soon in front of people as the prices of sand were all set to fall. Jakhar said that earlier the state used to get Rs 40 crore from auction sand mines but this time the collection from the auction was Rs 450 crore which was ten times more than that of alliance regime. However, he said the large extent of illegal mining we have curbed but a lot more to do.