The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, June 14
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had played a cruel joke on Punjabis by hiking the power tariff for both domestic and industrial supply after the conclusion of the parliamentary elections and demanded it be withdrawn immediately.
In a statement here, the SAD president said “it is shocking that a party which consistently claimed it would lower power tariffs for both domestic and industrial consumers has penalized Punjabis for reposing faith in it and increased both tariffs significantly. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should explain why he has cheated Punjabis in the name of ‘badlav’ by burning a hole in the pocket of the common man at a time when power consumption is at its peak due to heat wave conditions”.
Sukhbir Badal said the power hike of 15 paisa for industrial supply had come on the heels of the 30 paisa to 40 paisa per unit hike which was affected last year.
“This will make the industrial sector unviable in Punjab”, he asserted adding “this will result in the migration of even more industry out of the State”. He said the State was already not attracting any new investment and this hike would make the investment climate in the State even worse”. He also asserted that the power rates for the industrial sector were higher in Punjab than the neighbouring States.
Demanding a complete withdrawal in the hike affected on the industrial sector, Mr Badal also demanded that medium and small scale industries, which were already reeling under huge losses, should be given power at the rate of Rs five per unit.Badal also asked the AAP government not to penalize power consumers for mismanagement of the State power utility.
He said even though no investment had been done on transmission and distribution of power, which was in shambles resulting in repeated breakdowns and causing misery to the common man, the State had reported a revenue deficit of Rs 5,419 crore for PSPCL to the State Regulatory Authority.
